Perfect Panzanella

Published on Thursday, September 17, 2009, by Caitlin McGrath / Edit Post

Panzanella, the Tuscan salad of stale bread, tomatoes, and herbs dressed with oil and vinegar, is ideal for the waning tomato season and a good platform for improvisation.

free sample addict aka Tracy L uses this Joanne Weir recipe, with the addition of 2 tablespoons of capers and 2 cloves of garlic.

rainey likes to use stale ciabatta, which soaks up the tomato juices and vinaigrette well. She adds thinly sliced fennel, chopped fennel greens, and red or yellow bell peppers, and lets it rest 6 to 8 hours, so the flavors really blend and mellow. chowser makes a caprese version with bocconcini, grape tomatoes, and basil. And CHOW’s panzanella recipe has cucumbers and a lemon vinaigrette.

Board Link: Your favorite panzanella recipe (tuscan bread salad)?

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POST A COMMENT |1 Comment

COMMENT

  • I don't care for using rustic European-style breads; my experience is that the crumb gets too mushy and the chewy crust is neither tender enough nor crispy enough to be enjoyable.
    I prefer fatoush with flat breads or crackerbreads. Lightly grilling or toasting some of the bread pieces and adding at the last minute so they're still warm and crispy is my special twist. I usually prepare the rest...+READ

    I don't care for using rustic European-style breads; my experience is that the crumb gets too mushy and the chewy crust is neither tender enough nor crispy enough to be enjoyable.
    I prefer fatoush with flat breads or crackerbreads. Lightly grilling or toasting some of the bread pieces and adding at the last minute so they're still warm and crispy is my special twist. I usually prepare the rest ahead and refrigerate so there's a terrific contrast to the cold veg & herbs.
    Like free sample addict, I like garlic (lots: either grilled or heated lightly in the oil used for the dressing, to remove the acidic edge). Depending on the rest of the menu, I also like tiny shreds of preserved lemon or lemon zest. But capers is a nice thought, if your friends like capers.-COLLAPSE