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If you’ve never had a bread salad, you’re missing out on a great way to both use up leftover bread and showcase summer tomatoes. Bread salads are common in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, where cooks use stale bread as the primary ingredient. In this Italian version, called panzanella, we char the bread on the grill for added flavor. If you don’t feel like grilling the bread, you can toast it in a grill pan or under a low broiler.Serves four to six.Yields about 6 cups.
ingredients
4-1/2-inch-thick slices (about 8 oz.) from the center of a round sourdough loaf (a boule)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small shallot, sliced into thin rings
3 Tbs. red-wine vinegar
1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 lb. ripe, meaty tomatoes,
cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 3-1/2 cups)
1 small English cucumber, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1-1/2 cups)
3 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
2 Tbs. capers, drained and rinsed
how to make
Heat a gas grill with all burners on medium. Brush the bread with 1/4 cup of the oil and season it with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper. Grill the bread on both sides, checking frequently, until nicely browned, 3 to 4 min. per side. When the bread is cool enough to handle, cut it into 1/2-inch cubes.
Toss the bread cubes, tomatoes, cucumber, basil, mint, capers, and vinaigrette in the bowl with the shallot. Season the panzanella to taste with kosher salt and pepper and serve.
From Fine Cooking 80, pp. bc
September 1, 2006
photo: Scott Phillips
