A kind of Panzanella Salad …
A little bit of history :)
Panzanella is a Tuscan and Umbrian chopped salad of soaked stale bread, onion and tomatoes, very popular in the summer (you can guess why :) - if not think about the tomatoes). It often includes cucumbers and basil and the vinaigrette is made with olive oil and vinegar. The name is believed to come from the combination of “pane” (Italian for bread) and “zanella”, a deep plate, and until the 20th century this salas was based on onions not tomatoes. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzanella)
Agnolo Bronzino, the Florentine painter and poet is writing in 16th century about panzanella like this :
"Un'insalata di Cipolla trita con la porcellanetta e cetriuoli vince ogn'altro piacer di questa vita."
("A salad made with chopped onions, purslane -a type of wild succulent lettuce-, and cucumbers surpasses all other pleasures in this life.") (https://www.seriouseats.com/classic-panzanella-salad-recipe)
So … famous enough to give it a try :) ? We love Italian salads and it’s summer …
For this recipe I used different types of local tomatoes, and a rustic stale bread. (It was a traditional wheat and rye bread). But you can use any kind of bread you like. You can make it crispy in the oven like I described in the lines below but feel free to prepare it on a grill or on a heavy pan… The bread and the tomatoes can give this salad infinite taste variations … with your signature on it :)
For the dressing I used a combination of lemon juice and balsamic vinegar for a fresh feeling… but if you have a good quality red wine vinegar nearby you should give it a chance …
You have the list of the ingredients I used with the quantities … But probably your best panzanella will be the one you’ll make relaxed, after a glass of wine without measuring anything :) … Yes it is “that kind of recipe” …
INGREDIENTS - for 2 persons
Good quality extra virgin olive oil - 10 ml
Sourdough or good quality (stale) bread 2 slices - about 150 - 200 grams
Organic / Best you can get tomatoes - 300 grams
Organic / Best you can get onion - 150 grams
Best you can get mozzarella cheese - 150 - 200 grams
Organic / Best you can get fresh basil leaves - a few leaves
A pinch of salt
For the dressing
Good quality extra virgin olive oil - 25 ml
Fresh lemon juice - 10 ml (or squeeze half of a lemon)
Best you can get balsamic vinegar - 5 ml
Organic / Best you can get garlic - 2-3 garlic cloves
A pinch of salt
Freshly ground pepper
The steps …
Preheat the oven at 210C with ventilation.
Cut the bread in thick slices (about 2 cm thick) then in cube shape pieces. You can tear the bread with your hands… this will give your salad a rustic look. Place the bread pieces in a bowl drizzle with olive oil add a pinch of salt, mix well then transfer the bread on a tray and bake for about 10 minutes or until you like the colour and the bread is crispy. Once done let it cool down.
For the dressing cut the garlic in very small pieces then in a small jar add the garlic, the olive oil, the lemon juice and the balsamic vinegar. Of course don’t forget a pinch of salt and pepper. Close the jar and shake well until the dressing is emulsified.
Wash the tomatoes and cut them in bite size pieces and put them in a bowl.
Tear the basil leaves with hands and slice the onion in thin pieces.
Also cut or tear the mozzarella in bite size pieces …
Assemble the salad in a large bowl by adding the ingredients and gently mixing them with one or two spoons of dressing. ( If you prepare a larger quantity I recommend assembling it by smaller batches … )
Place the salad in the serving plate and drizzle over with a few drops of dressing … and leave the jar nearby :)
Enjoy !
