Panzanella Salad

Before the age of 25, I had never even heard of Panzanella salad.  The salads I grew up with were your average garden variety.  Don't get me wrong, they were always delicious, but in general they consisted of lettuce, carrots, celery, and tomatoes topped with whatever bottled dressing was currently stocking our refrigerator door.  These days I like to change it up a little (okay, a LOT) when it comes to my salad repertoire.  So last night, when I saw a half-eaten loaf of Seeduction Bread from Whole Foods staring at me, I realized that I needed to come up with something that would use up several slices of this soon-to-be-stale bread.  A number of things ran through my head:

• bread pudding - no...that's too sweet;
• savory bread pudding - eh...still too much work; and
• french toast - nah...too breakfastey AND too sweet.

And then it hit me!  

I remembered a time, about three years ago, when I was staying with a dear friend for a week or two.  This friend is a foodie, like me, and one summer evening she whipped together this amazing bread and vegetable salad and called it Panzanella.  It was d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s.!  Thinking back on it, I honestly can't believe that I have waited so long to recreate the dish in my own kitchen.

Well, wait no longer!

Panzanella is here!

Specifically, Panzanella is a Florentine salad of bread and tomatoes popular in the summer.  It includes chunks of soaked stale bread and tomatoes, sometimes also onions and basil, dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  It is also popular in other parts of central Italy.

Panzanella salad is an Italian salad that was probably an invention of necessity.  Italian cooks waste nothing, and this was a way to utilize stale bread and vegetables from the garden.  The record of Panzanella goes back centuries.  In the 1500's, a poem by the famous artist, Bronzino, described the salad.  Of course, the tomato was quite a few years from being introduced into the Italian kitchen.  Therefore, until the 20th century, Panzanella was based on onions.  

[Today, Panzanella] always includes bread and tomatoes plus vegetables from the garden.  Vegetables can include cucumbers and onions.  Other ingredients - lettuce, olives, mozarella, white wine, capers, anchovies, celery, carrots, red wine, tuna, parsley, boiled eggs, mint, bell peppers, lemon juice, and garlic - are sometimes used, but Florentine traditionalists disapprove of them.  (Source 1 and Source 2)

Here is my version of the classic Italian dish, using many of the vegetables that we found at the Riverside Arts Market this past Saturday!

Panzanella Salad
Serves 4

4 pieces stale bread (or bread left out overnight), cubed
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
2-3 outer leaves of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 tsp dried parsley
1T dried basil
zest of 1 lemon
6T EVOO
1-2T balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Drizzle the cubed bread with 1T EVOO.
• Bake the bread cubes for 15-20 minutes, tossing every 7-8 minutes, until crispy and lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, cook the minced garlic in 1 tsp EVOO until fragrant.
• Add the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, romaine, parsley, basil, and lemon zest to a large salad bowl.
• Add the cooked garlic.
• Drizzle in the EVOO and balsamic vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Toss to incorporate.
• Add in the baked bread cubes; and toss.
• Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.
• Serve, chilled, alongside your protein of choice.

Next time - another book review (and this time the book is neither utopian/dystopian in theme nor Young Adult in genre).  In fact, it's historical fiction, and I can't wait to tell you all about it!

Question of the Day:


Have you ever had a Panzanella salad before?  If so, what did you think? If not, have you ever made your own croutons?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Rainbow Salad

As I was trying to figure out dinner for Sunday evening, I looked into our refrigerator and realized that we had A LOT of produce that was one day away from becoming over-ripe. 

I needed to come up with a recipe that would use over half a dozen vegetables, and I needed it FAST!

Enter this beauty:

Rainbow Salad
Serves 4

5 large stems of kale, stripped from stem and chopped
2 beets, boiled, peeled, and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3/4 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 C butter beans (I got mine from my mother's garden, but you could use frozen peas or cooked lentils)
1/8 C sunflower seeds
1/8 C pumpkin seeds
1/4 C nutritional yeast, divided
1/4 C EVOO, divided
1-1 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2-1 tsp Herbamare (or salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 avocado, peeled and cubed (for garnish)

Note:  If you don't have some of the ingredients listed above, just substitute them for similar ingredients.  Don't be scared to get creative and use. what. you. have.

Double Note: For those of you that are wondering, I made Bo some Italian Sausage to go on top of his salad! :)

Directions:

1. Prepare all vegetables as described above.
2. Add kale to a large serving bowl.
3. Toss kale with half of the EVOO and half of the nutritional yeast.
4. Add all vegetables, peas, and seeds into the bowl.
5. Toss with the remaining half of the EVOO, the remaining half of the nutritional yeast, and the balsamic vinegar.
6. Sprinkle herbamare and pepper over the top of the salad.
7. Toss very well until each kale leaf and individual vegetable is coated with the dressing.
8. If serving immediately, top with cubed avocado.
9. If not serving immediately, chill in the refrigerator and wait to top with avocado until ready to serve.

Doesn't it look like a rainbow on my plate?! 

Red = red bell pepper
Orange = carrots
Yellow = nutritional yeast
Green = kale, pumpkin seeds, and avocado
Blue = hmmm....
Indigo = double hmmm...
Violet = beets
White = cucumber

Since I didn't have any blue or indigo in the salad, can I get extra points for the white cucumber?!  Come on, cut me a break!  They say there aren't any true blue foods anyway... :)

Honestly I think this is the prettiest salad I have ever made...and that's saying quite a bit considering I make a lot of salad!

Before I close, I thought this post presented the perfect opportunity to chat a little about nutritional yeast.  I am NOT talking about the yeast you use in bread!  Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast that boasts numerous health benefits, especially for vegetarians and vegans. 

For instance:

• People who follow a plant-based diet, or those looking to reduce their intake of animal base products can receive additional protein by adding nutritional yeast to their meals. One ounce of nutritional yeast contains 14 grams of protein and 79 calories.
• Nutritional yeast contains a high amount of fiber, containing more than seven grams per ounce. Diets high in fiber can help eliminate constipation, assist in lowering cholesterol, reduce the risk of colon disease, and protect against high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
• Nutritional yeast's yellow color comes from the B vitamin riboflavin. Nutritional yeast is rich in B-complex vitamins, making it a vital supplement for those who are not receiving their B vitamins from other sources. Many brands of nutritional yeast also contain vitamin B12, which is essential for red blood cell production. (I always buy the nutritional yeast with B12.)
• Nutritional yeast is naturally low in sodium, making it a perfect addition for those monitoring their sodium intake. Low sodium diets are beneficial for a variety of health-related conditions including prevention of heart disease, controlling blood pressure and weight reduction. (citation)

The point is, if you haven't ever tried nutritional yeast, give it a shot!  It has a cheesy, savory flavor that is great sprinkled on salads, casseroles, and roasted vegetables alike.  What are you waiting for?!

Question of the Day:

What do you make when you have a lot of soon-to-be-over-ripe produce?  I would love to hear your ideas!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo