Panzanella

One of our favorites, especially in warm weather.

Panzanella is a Tuscan recipe, originally made from day old bread and tomatoes.

I like to change it up according to what I have on hand, what's fresh in the market, or what is ripe in my vegetable garden.

There are many variations, I suggest you do an internet seach to find a recipe that sounds appealing to you. One of my favorites is from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.





This time, I did not have cucumber so instead seasoned and grilled some zucchini chunks on a hot stovetop grill. While the grill was heated up I decided to toss the bread chunks lightly in oil and grill them as well, to crisp. I kept them warm in the oven while preparing the remainder of the salad.



I added some pitted Niçoise olives (I prefer Kalamatas in this salad, but using what I had on hand...) I also tossed in some cubes of Feta cheese, marinated artichoke hearts are also a nice addition. No basil in the garden yet, so I put in plenty of flat leaf Italian parsley.

It's a versatile recipe, and really welcome on a hot day when cooking might be the last thing on your mind.

If you'd like the Barefoot Contessa's recipe, it can be found at the Food Network Site.

Here's the LINK.