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Photo by Megan Myers
One thing that keeps people from enjoying farmers' market finds is getting stuck in a recipe rut. It's easy to transform summer produce into pasta sauce or sandwich toppings, but another great option is panzanella, or bread salad.
Almost every ingredient for this salad can be found at the Austin farmers markets right now (the rest are probably in your pantry). Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and sweet peppers make the salad a refreshing meal - a great way to beat the heat in Austin's hot summers!
Panzanella Salad
- 6 cups torn bread, such as baguette or ciabatta
- 4 tomatoes
- 2 sweet peppers
- 1 cucumber
- 1 small red onion
- 7 basil leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil (such as Sweet Basil Olive Oil by Texas Olive Ranch)
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scatter torn bread on a baking sheet and toast in oven for about 10 minutes, or until crisped.
- In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour in bread crumbs and toss with tongs to coat. Set aside.
- Chop all vegetables into small cubes. Add to bowl.
- Stack basil leaves, roll into a cigar-shape, and chop into strips. Add to bowl.
- Toss with tongs thoroughly and serve. Letting the salad sit for about 20 minutes prior to serving will allow the flavors to meld more completely.
Serves 12 as a side dish, 4-6 as a main.
Where to Buy?
- Tomatoes from Tecolote Farm
- Cucumbers, sweet peppers, onion, and basil from Johnson's Backyard Garden
- Olive oil from Texas Olive Ranch
- Bread from Texas French Bread or Barrie Cullinan (available at Antonelli's Cheese Shop)
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