Recipe: Panzanella is a fresh and tasty answer to stale bread

By Gretchen McKay Pittsburgh Post-Gazette If you re like me and sometimes forget what s in your pantry you possibly buy more bread than you can use on occasion How multiple loaves have dried on your counter Related Articles Nashville hot chicken spot plans to take over TRVE Brewing space Discover Colorado food halls to fuel your outdoor adventures California Pizza Kitchen closes after years in Cherry Creek mall Recipes Make these tasty dinners on a single rimmed baking sheet Michelin-recognized chef teams up with Uncle owner for new taqueria Rather than throw it to the birds you might soak it in milk kissed with cinnamon and sugar to make a buttery pan of French toast You could pulverize the dry slices in a food processor to make bread crumbs or cube and fry it in a little olive oil for salad croutons Even though we re countless weeks away from tomato season I have an even tastier way to upcycle bread that s beyond its prime Use it as the base for panzanella a rustic traditional Italian salad made with stale bread cucumbers and tomatoes OK I just put my tomato plants in thanks to uncooperative weather But it s essential to remember panzanella isn t so much a tomato salad flavored with bread as it is a bread salad that gets a boost from vegetables including tomatoes No need to wait for your garden harvest I ve been finding specific really nice containers of juicy yellow and red cherry tomatoes at my favorite grocery the last limited weeks It s also easy to find an intensely flavored heirloom tomato at majority of larger grocery stores and to be honest unless you re really picky about using only sun-ripened homegrown or locally grown fruit the stem-tomatoes that come still on the vine are usually pretty good too There s a long tradition of pairing stale bread with seasonal veggies in central Italy La cucina povera or the kitchen of the poor required poor peasants to improvise with what little they had in their pantries and gardens to make great food with simple high-quality ingredients The first written record of an early version of the dish pan lavato meaning washed bread is thought to come from writer Boccaccio in the th century Panzanella is traditionally made with stale Tuscan bread which has a bland crumb and a dark crust My version is a little less conventional I made the toasted bread cubes out of three day-old everything bagels I got at a deep discount at Oakmont Bakery I also used sliced shallot instead of the more pungent red onion that often characterizes the dish because the allium I had waiting in my fridge had gone soft and mushy The combination of raw juicy tomatoes onions crunchy cucumbers and bright green basil makes for a fresh light summer lunch Vinegar is essential in the vinaigrette it gives the dressing a nice tang Panzanella salad Panzanella is a great way to use up stale bread and get your fill of tomatoes Gretchen McKay Pittsburgh Post-Gazette TNS For salad pounds assorted tomatoes halved or cut into wedges Sea salt day-old bagels or pound Tuscan or sourdough bread cut into -inch cubes Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling bread cup thinly sliced shallot or red onion English cucumber sliced into half moons cup fresh basil leaves torn plus more for garnish cup shredded Parmesan cheese optional For the dressing cup extra-virgin olive oil tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar garlic cloves minced teaspoon Dijon mustard or more to taste Heaping teaspoon sea salt or more to taste Ground black pepper Preheat the oven to degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper Place tomatoes in a large bowl and toss with about teaspoon salt Allow to sit for around minutes then drain tomatoes over a large bowl reserving the juices Place bagel or bread pieces in a large bowl and drizzle with enough olive oil to cover about tablespoons Toss to coat Scatter the bread on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt I used everything bagels so was sparing Bake for - minutes or until crispy around the edges Make the dressing In a large bowl whisk together olive oil vinegar garlic mustard salt and several grinds of pepper Add onion tomatoes cucumber and bread to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat Add a little of the reserved tomato juices and toss again Add cheese if using and basil and gently toss Season to taste and serve with more fresh basil on top Serves Gretchen McKay Post-Gazette PG Publishing Co Visit at post-gazette com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC