Tuesday 20 November 2012

Panzanella










I've been shopping non-stop since I got back from my trip. I don't mean $400-shoe-shopping, I mean grocery shopping - which is the best kind of shopping in my book. (I'm not really sure what "in my book" means. It's not like I have a book where I write down every single thought that enters my head... Oh wait, I have this blog, may that should be "in my blog".... whatever.) It's like I lost my mojo for grocery shopping while I was away and now I've got it back, I can't stop using it... Just like before I went away really. It's like riding a bike, yuh!. Back to my old shopping habits, like that... just ask my husband.

Moving right along... I think I've over-compensated for coming home to an empty fridge, aka the stuff of nightmares. I've been shop, shop, shopping like a famine is about to cast it's ugly pall over us.  So here I am with a kitchen bursting with fresh produce that won't stay fresh much longer if I keep eating handfuls of cereal out of the box for lunch and Wholemeal Choc Chip & Chunk Muffins between handfuls of cereal.

So here is my oh so delicious way of using up excess bread and tomatoes. If you see me heading out the door with my shopping baskets in hand, stop me.


Panzanella
from Food
Serves 4

1 loaf white Italian style bread ( I used ciabatta)
300ml extra virgin olive oil
100ml balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
5 ripe tomatoes
1 small red onion
½ bunch basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Remove the crust from the bread. Cut into even sized cubes and bake until golden brown and dry. Cool.

In a bowl place the oil, vinegar and garlic. Add the bread and toss.

Remove the core from the tomatoes and roughly chop. Thinly slice the red onion and add both to the bowl. Pick the basil leaves and tear into small pieces. Season to taste and serve immediately.

9 comments:

  1. ohhh, i adore panzanella, and this looks like a gorgeous dish!

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  2. This is a beautiful salad!!!! I would love to have a bowl of it in front of me!!!!

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  3. I love each and every shot you did for this recipe - which looks so delicious. I can almost feel the crunch of the bread and taste the fresh tomatoes. Excellent job.

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  4. I know that too Jen. I do not travel a lot but when I'm too much at work or my my study and I do not really have the time to cook, when I'm at a Marché Public or a grocery store, I become crazy! All the things that I should have done are dancing in my head and everything I see seems incredible. So I buy a lot of things and...well several things are still in my pantry but well, that's life hun!

    I think that you came up with a really nice recipe to save those tomatoes. How yummilichous does it look :)

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  5. Lovely photos. Panzanella is such a tasty salad to make. I love the combination of bread and tomatoes

    Stay in the Lines

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  6. Thanks so much Patty. Tomatoes and bread, nothing new under the sun, but oh so goooood. :)

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  7. Hey Gabrielle. I think we have the same disease ;P

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  8. Thanks for your lovely comment Jaclyn. Ripe tomatoes and bread, some crunchy some soaked in dressing, does it get any better?

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