First things first. I have to apologize for disappearing for so long. It always seems like summer ends before it even starts, its flies by. This year I really tried to let the summer mode set in a take advantage of time that I had off – tennis, golf, pool…me time. Now as we prepare to get back into the fall schedule, I am ready to get back into the cooking and blogging swing!
A classic panzenella salad consists of fresh ripe tomatoes and basil mixed with cubes of bread tossed in a vinaigrette. I like to turn it up a notch by adding more vegetables and grilling those vegetables and the bread. Grilling the veggies brings out even more of their summer freshness, and grilling the bread adds a delicious smoky crunch to the salad. The warm bread also soaks up the delicious dijon vinaigrette…yummm.
The key ingredient to any good panzanella is the tomato. Fresh, ripe, red, juice running down your face tomatoes. These beauties seen above were from the CSA I subscribe to. **Pause for one quick plug – I subscribe to the Roxbury Farm CSA in upstate New York. Each week I get a delivery of fresh organic vegetables, straight from the farm. If you have an option like the Roxbury Farm CSA near you, I cannot recommend it more. You really can taste the difference between a farm fresh veggie and one from the supermarket. Give it a shot; split a share with a friend; you won’t be disappointed!
OK, back to cooking. Start by cutting the tomatoes into a large dice and add them to a large bowl. Next, chiffonade the basil. What is chiffonade? To chiffoade basil is a fancy way of saying cut it into long thin strips. A trick to get this done – stack the basil into a pile then roll it up like a cigar. Then take your knife and cut thinly across the roll. It will create thin rounds of basil, perfect for this salad.
Add the basil to the bowl, along with the drained capers, salt and pepper. Mix it all up and set it aside.
Up next, you guessed it, more delicious vegetables! Peppers and onions are classic additions, the eggplant and corn (from the CSA) just looked so amazing this season that I had to add them in. The eggplant adds a nice creaminess and each corn kernel as a fresh pop of flavor.
Slice the veggies into thick slices that are easy to put on the grill. Preheat your grill and brush the veggies with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Let’s not overlook the other key ingredient in panzanella – the bread…duh. Any thick crusty bread will work. I particularly love using sourdough bread, but you can use a baguette or ciabatta…whatever you love. Slice it into thick slices, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the vegetables and and bread on the grill. Grill for 5 minutes and flip. **NOTE: the bread will cook faster, careful not to burn it, like I clearly did. Cook for another 5 minutes and take the veggies corn and bread off the grill.
Once the bread and veggies have cooled enough to handle, cut them into large cubes. Do not worry that all the pieces are the exact same size. This is a rustic salad, no need for perfection. Cut the corn kernels off the cob, and then add all the bread, veggies and corn to the bowl with the tomatoes.
Add in the reserved dressing and mix together. Serve warm alongside grilled salmon or chicken for a delicious summer meal.
Grilled Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp champagne vinegar
- salt and pepper
- 1 large tomatoes cubed
- 1/2 cup basil
- 2 tbsp capers drained
- 1 medium baguette
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 large red onion
- 2 bell peppers
- 2 ears fresh corn
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, mustard, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.
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Preheat your grill.
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In a large bowl, combine the cubed tomatoes, capers and basil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.
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Cut the eggplant, onion, peppers and baguette into large slices so they are easy to place on the grill. Remove the corn from the husks. Brush the baguette and vegetables with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place on the grill.
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Grill for 3-5 minutes until nice grill marks are formed. Flip them over and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
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Place the grilled bread and vegetables on a cutting board and cut them all into large cubes. Cut the corn kernels off the cob.
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Add the bread and vegetables to the large bowl with the tomatoes.
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Toss with the dressing and serve warm.
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