Hi friends!! Hope you are all enjoying your summer! One of my absolute favorite things about summer is how easy dinner can come together. With so much outstanding produce, you can essentially throw everything you love into a bowl, toss with some olive oil or your favorite vinaigrette and call it a salad. As we reach the later summer days, we are blessed with the brilliance of summer tomatoes. I get so excited when they begin popping up in the farmer’s market. So ripe, sweet, and juicy. And so many varieties…all kinds of Heirloom, Early girl, Black Cherry, Chocolate, etc.
Panzanella is a great way to use crusty bread and celebrate the summer tomato. Traditionally this dish takes stale bread and rehydrates with olive oil, vinegar, and all the sweet juice from ripe tomatoes. I’m definitely a fan of any recipe where I can add bread. And I get to call this a salad?! Yes please! This version incorporates sliced fresh mozzarella and basil so it’s basically a caprese with buttery, vinegar-soaked croutons. SO YUM!
After baking pieces of crusty ciabatta bread, I tossed with ripe tomatoes, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. After letting the bread soak up the juices for a half hour, I did a final taste for salt, then tossed the mixture with fresh basil. I also served over a small bed of mixed greens and topped off with a drizzle of balsamic glaze plus freshly ground pepper.
This dish is such a great way to use up your tomato bounty and to hold onto summer for as long as we can! I hope you enjoy friends.
Valerie
- Ciabatta loaf (16 oz.)
- Ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
- Fresh mozzarella, sliced or cut into chunks
- Basil leaves, torn or chopped
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Balsamic glaze & mixed greens (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Tear or chop the ciabatta into 1 inch bite sized cubes. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bake for ~10 minutes until the bread is golden brown. Set aside and let cool.
- Place tomatoes in a large bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt. Add the mozzarella and bread cubes and gently toss. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least ½ hour (and up to four hours).
- When ready to serve, toss with fresh basil. I also like to serve over a bed of mixed greens, and top with a little balsamic glaze plus freshly ground pepper.
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