Panzanella

A Rustic Italian Salad

Summer may have past, but we can console ourselves with the wonderful tomatoes of all varieties that are in our local farmer's markets. For this dish use the freshest local tomatoes, the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford, and crusty Italian bread. Serve this as a side dish or scooped over fresh pasta, sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan, for a delicious, one-dish meal. If you like, you can add a bit of spice with red pepper flakes. Careful, though--this dish is all about the tomatoes!



Serves 4
1/2 pound crusty Italian bread, torn into pieces
1 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled, halved, and cut into slivers
4 large, ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped, juices reserved
2 thin slices very sweet onion, such as Maui or Vidalia
handful of Italian parsley, chopped
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, shredded
salt, freshly ground black pepper
red pepper flakes, optional

Tip: Store tomatoes in a dry, cool place stem-side down. Do not store tomatoes in the refrigerator. They will lose their flavor.

Heat olive oil and garlic slivers in a small saucepan until the garlic begins to color. Watch garlic carefully, and do not let it burn or become dark. Take saucepan off the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place bread pieces on a flat baking pan and heat in a hot oven for 5 minutes. Remove bread and place in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, olive oil and garlic slivers, onion, parsley, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add red pepper flakes if desired. Cover and let stand for at least one hour.

This dish is also delicious the next day! Stir carefully, but well, and serve.

ENJOY! Please feel free to email me with your comments or questions about the recipes you see here.