Panzanella

There is no better way to enjoy summer produce than this!  Panzanella is an Italian salad traditionally made of stale or crusty bread and tomatoes.  This simple dish is refreshing and flavorful.  We made our panzanella with ingredients typically found in caprese salad - fresh mozarella and fresh basil.  Because this is such a simple salad, the quality of the ingredients is what makes or breaks the taste.  Go for the good produce on this one (maybe check out your local farmer's market?)

Ingredients:
4 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
3/4 c. bell peppers (we used red and orange), cubed
1/2 a red onion, finely diced
1 package fresh mozarella, drained and cubed
1 c. fresh basil leaves
1 loaf crusty bread (French or Sourdough will both work)
1 clove garlic (chopped in half or in thirds)
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper

After dicing the tomatoes, peppers, onion, and mozarella, combine them in a large serving bowl.  To cut the basil, layer the leaves flat on your palm like sheets of paper and then roll up the stack of leaves.  Use kitchen scissors to snip the roll of leaves crosswise into little curls.  Add basil to the bowl.

To prepare the bread, cut it into 1- or 2-inch cubes with a serrated knife.  Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add a few tablespoons of olive oil.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic.  Sauté garlic in the olive oil; before it browns, remove the garlic pieces from the oil (this way the oil is garlic-scented, but the garlic does not burn).  Fry the bread cubes on medium-high heat until brown and crispy.

Add the bread cubes to the serving bowl and toss with the salad.  Season the salad with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.  Allowing the salad to rest for 10-30 minutes before serving gives the flavors a chance to combine.