Mary, my mother-in-law, makes this fabulous panzanella salad that I just can not eat enough of. I love salad - but add chunks of crusty bread to it & I love it more!
I found some amazing green zebra heirloom tomatoes at the grocery store & couldn't wait to make them the star of a simple dinner. I didn't have all the ingredients for the salad that Mary makes so I made the simple tomato salad my mom always makes but I added yummy chunks of bread!
Click through for the recipe & make this salad tonight!
Ingredients:
- 2 large green zebra heirloom tomatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 5-6 cloves of garlic
- 10 fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil (plus more for toasting the bread)*
- 1/2 loaf of walnut bread (about 2 cups)
- salt & pepper
Make it!
- Cut the tomatoes & onion into evenly sized pieces. Add to a large bowl.
- Mince garlic, add to tomatoes.
- Chiffonade basil leaves, add to mixture.
- Toss the mixture in olive oil. Salt & pepper to taste.
- Cover with plastic wrap & set aside for 30 minutes (your tomatoes will create a yummy juice, so the longer it sits the better).
- Cut bread into bite-sized cubes.
- Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a deep pan. Add bread, stir often to toast evenly.
- Remove the bread from heat & toss with salt & pepper.
- Add bread & tomato mixture together in a (very) large bowl. Toss & serve.
P dot S: As you may be able to tell (if you've read any of my previous posts) we eat a fair amount of pasta at chateau O'Hara, we're not on a carb-free diet & we've got plenty of meat to stick to our bones. This salad is an alternative to making pasta (for me). So if you're looking for a light salad - lose the bread & add some arugula. But if you're looking for a more hearty salad & a simple dinner then carb it up with some bread!
This can also take:
ReplyDelete- the refreshing addition of chunked peeled (or not) cucumber. Just don't add until ready to serve otherwise it will absorb too much oil
- a little meatless protein, add fresh mozzarella chunks or mini-balls (if you can find them)
- a little more color and zip add slivers of sun-dried (or home-made dehydrated) tomatoes packed in olive oil
- chunks of left-over cooked fish (broiled or baked) like salmon or tuna (fresh is best but canned in water would do)
- sliced pitted olives (any kind, as you know I love my olives!)
The last two suggestions were from Mr Carmello, the Pearl River tailor who told me that is how the Italians he grew-up with serve their fresh tuna in the summer.
Enjoy!
MommaJean
Thanks mom! i will try these!
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