Summer Panzanella Salad

Prep:30minCook:25min

Serves 6 - 8 A light and refreshing summer salad, that combines vegetables and fruits that are in season for a wonderful salad on a hot day. It has a wonderful dressing and with a surprise of pickled blueberries, peaches, and cantaloupe. It brings this traditional italian bread salad up a level.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 01:05:59 GMT

Ingredients

8 servings

1 loafcrusty bread

cut into 1" cubes

1cucumber

seeded and sliced into 1/2" thick slices

6tomatoes

cut into quarters

1 pintcherry tomatoes

0.5red onion

1 ½ cupscantaloupe

Pickled Blueberries

1 cupwhite vinegar

¼ cupwater

1 Tbspkosher salt

3 Tbspsugar

¼ cupred onion

thinly sliced

1 pintblueberries

Dressing

2garlic cloves

minced

½ tspdijon mustard

3 TBSPBlueberry Pickled Brine

2 Tbsphoney

1 tspkosher salt

¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper

2 TBSPFresh Basil

finely minced

2 TBSPonion

finely minced or red

½ cupolive oil

good

Instructions

Pickled Blueberries

Step 1

Whisk vinegar, water, salt and sugar in small bowl. Put blueberries and red onion in a mason jar, cover with brining liquid. Place in fridge for at least 12 hours or overnight.

For Bread Cubes

Step 2

Set oven to 275 degrees Placed bread cubes on baking sheet, lightly drizzle with EVOO and salt and pepper. Toss and make sure all cubes are in a single layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, till slightly crisp (stale) without toasting them. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely

Baking sheet

For Tomatoes

Step 3

You can use either 6 tomatoes that have been quartered or 3 tomatoes quartered and 1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half Place tomatoes in colander sitting in a large bowl. Springle tomatoes with 1 TBSP Kosher Salt toss gently. Leave sit for at least 15 minutes to 30 minutes to collect the juice from the tomatoes.

Dressing

Step 4

Put tomato juice from salted tomatoes in jar, add all ingredients for dressing to jar and shake till mixed set aside.

For Salad

Step 5

Put all salad ingredients in large bowl and some shaved parmesan and bread cubes. Pour dressing on salad and toss. Let salad sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, tossing a few times to allow flavors to meld and the bread cubes absorb the dressing. Then serve with parmesan shavings on top.