Recipes

[IamMrsG]

This is a dish I wait all Summer for, until the tomatoes have peaked.  It is worth waiting for.

This is an Ina Garten recipe and was shared with us by Luvmybichon back in 2011.  

Panzanella 

3 Tablespoons good olive oil

1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 Tablespoons capers, drained

For the vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

[gardensla]

Thank you for sharing!

So making this, this weekend.

[IamMrsG]

@gardensla, I hope you enjoy this nearly as much as DH and I do/did.  

BTW, the recipe does not tell the number of servings.  I can say that it is too much food for two people.  I make the full amount of dressing, use both tomatoes, but generally cut everything else by about a third-to-a-half.  

Oh, and we enjoyed a Sangiovese with it this evening.  

[DiAnne]

This sounds delicious.  It is definitely going on my listt to try!

[Knit-Chick]

Thank you for sharing, IamMrsG!  We've had this before in a restaurant but I've never made it.  Perfect & easy dinner for these humid days!  The only thing I don't have is champagne vinegar -- will have to look for that.

[IamMrsG]

I'll share a tip for making the croutons.  We eat French bread at just about every dinner.  I cube any 'stubs' leftover and freeze them.  They are just the thing for any quick croutons you may want, and are especially good browned in bacon grease and kosher salt.  

[panda1234]

I like to serve mine at room temp. This is always a big hit at a party, not the usual potato salad.

[Cookie2025]

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@IamMrsG wrote:

@gardensla, I hope you enjoy this nearly as much as DH and I do/did.  

BTW, the recipe does not tell the number of servings.  I can say that it is too much food for two people.  I make the full amount of dressing, use both tomatoes, but generally cut everything else by about a third-to-a-half.  

Oh, and we enjoyed a Sangiovese with it this evening.  

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@IamMrsG  Thanks for including the wine pairing too.