Summer Recipe: Panzanella
Post by Olivia Martino, Registered Dietitian and Co-Owner, Nourish Northwest
I seriously look forward to this salad all year. Our giant tomato bushes have been teasing me for the last month by taking forever to ripen and they are finally ready! Actually, they are more than ready and all of a sudden we have a massive amount of tomatoes to deal with. We will probably ending up canning some but my favorite way to enjoy them is fresh.
I really don’t consider myself a food snob (after all, my favorite food is a hot dog) but one thing I am admittedly snobby about is tomatoes. In my opinion, there is not much worse than biting into a mealy slice of tomato on your BLT in January. Tomatoes have a season and it is summer. I refuse to eat them any other time. So, in this short window of time that they are actually in season, I better get eating. Luckily, I could eat this salad every day. It is so fresh and delicious. Pair it with a piece of salmon and you have yourself a meal. Enjoy!
PANZANELLA
(Adapted from Eating Well)
Makes 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 cups diced heirloom tomatoes (1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups cubed whole-wheat country bread, (5 ounces)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
3 Tbs chopped fresh basil
2 Tbs capers, rinsed
PROCEDURE
- Whisk oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add tomatoes, bread, onion, basil and capers.
- Toss to combine. Let the salad sit for about 5 minutes to allow it to absorb the dressing’s flavors, stirring occasionally. Serve at room temperature.
