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Ilse Cooks the Books: Panzanella

───   09:21 Fri, 22 Nov 2019

Ilse Cooks the Books: Panzanella | News Article

It’s scorching hot at the moment and the temperature outside definitely changes how we eat. I don’t want to have the oven on for long periods of time, because it’s simply too hot.


I also really don’t fancy heavy, starchy meals, but my husband doesn’t really consider it dinner if there are no carbs or meat on the plate. 

Enter a little lifesaver called Panzanella.  Simply put, it’s a bread salad and there are many, many variations.  In my own personal selection of cookbooks, I have four or five recipes for Panzanella, each one different.  One has an anchovy dressing, one contains sweet red peppers and even hard-boiled eggs.  I’m going to try all of them, but I started with this very simple version from Australian chef Skye Gyngell in her cookbook, How I Cook. 

As with all simple meals, use the best quality ingredients you can find.  And because I love them, I added some thinly sliced red onion.  Oh yes, and I had the leftovers with a fried egg on top for breakfast the next day and it was delish!

“Little more than torn, stale bread, ripe tomatoes, cucumber, and torn basil, this Tuscan salad is surprisingly good. A dressing of verdant green extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar, plus a hint of garlic, melds the flavours beautifully.  I have seen other ingredients added – finely sliced onion, capers and black olives for example – but I prefer this simple combination.  Grilling the bread and lightly roasting the tomatoes may not be authentic, but I think it enhances the flavour; it also enables the salad to hold up for a little longer.” – Skye Gyngell


SKYE GYNGELL – HOW I COOK:  PANZANELLA

16 – 18 little ripe tomatoes

7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 small cucumbers or half a standard one

6 thick slices of crusty bread (I used ciabatta)

1 garlic clove, peeled and halved

2 tablespoons good-quality red wine vinegar

Bunch of basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 170?C. Wash the tomatoes and pat dry. Pierce each one once or twice, using a small sharp knife, then place on a baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes until softened and then allow to cool. (You can skip this stage if you like and simply use the tomatoes fresh.)

Meanwhile cut the cucumbers into chunks. Grill the bread on both sides until lightly toasted, then rub with the cut garlic clove and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Season lightly with salt and tear the bread into chunks.  Place the tomatoes, cucumber, and bread in a serving bowl and toss lightly. Drizzle over the wine vinegar and the rest of the olive oil, tear in the basil and toss lightly. Taste for seasoning, adding a grinding of pepper and a little salt if needed.

Follow me on Twitter (ilse123) or on Facebook (https://web.facebook.com/IlseCooksTheBooks/) to chat about food and more!

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