How Panzanella Solved My Bread Problem

I have a bread problem. Not that many people would feel much sympathy for my situation. You see, my husband has become a bread maven. He might even be tiptoeing along the edge of evangelism, such is his passion for his newfound calling. At least twice people have shown up at our doorstep to be shown "the way"—actually Chad Robertson of Tartine Bread's way—of producing perfect artisan loaves in a home oven.

How could this be a problem?

Now, in his defense, I have to say I've been encouraging this discipleship every step of the way. The guy has a definite touch with flour, water and salt, and when you throw in a natural tendency toward tinkering plus a creative bent, that's pretty much the definition of a baker. So every two weeks for quite awhile now he's been making six loaves of sourdough, interrupted only by a trip out of town or summer temperatures soaring into the 90s.

Our five-year-old nephew spent the night last week, and his first question before being taken to daycare the next morning was, "Does Uncle Dave have any bread I can take with me?" He was comforted only by the promise that yes, indeed, Uncle Dave would bake bread for him in a couple of days. Oh, the obligations!

A perfect (and delicious) solution.

So the problem comes when one of those loaves is brought to the bread board. Being artisan-style loaves, when sliced there's always the rounded bit at the end that ends up, if it's not eaten immediately, sitting on the board and getting stale. Big deal, you say. But multiply that over dozens and dozens of loaves and you've got quite a pile of bits.

I've been chopping them up into cubes, drying them completely and then freezing them in bags, but I just don't make that many croutons for salads. And I utterly refuse to toss them out—there's nothing worse than wasted bread karma, believe me.

Then the other day, needing to make a salad for dinner and having some ripe, heirloom tomatoes on hand, I hit on the perfect solution: panzanella! I don't think of it often, since it needs tomatoes that only come at this time of year, perfectly ripe, not-too-hard, not-too-soft and terrifically flavorful. And I wasn't sure the rock-hard cubes would absorb enough of the juices to soften up to just the right consistency.

But I threw it together anyway, chopping up a little cucumber and some basil from my neighbor who couldn't use all that was in her CSA share. And you know, those dried crusty bread ends turned into luscious tomato juice bombs and solved my bread problem, at least for the duration of tomato season. What could I say but hallelujah!

Panzanella, Italian-Style Tomato-Bread Salad

For the dressing:
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2/3 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press or minced fine
1 tsp. salt

For the salad:
4 c. bread, 2 or 3 days old, cut into 1/2” cubes
4-6 c. tomatoes, chopped in 1/2” cubes
1/2 c. basil, sliced into chiffonade
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded, cut into 1/4” cubes
1/2 c. kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (optional)
Salt to taste

In medium mixing bowl whisk dressing ingredients together. Set aside.

Put salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Pour dressing over the top and combine thoroughly. Allow to stand 20-30 minutes before serving (an hour if the bread is very dry), mixing occasionally to distribute the juices.

Summer Salad Smackdown: Tsunami of Seasonal Goodness

August is many things in the Northwest: long, warm, sunny days; moderate temperatures (except for those few that creep above 90); and a veritable tidal wave of bounty from the garden and local farms. Cucumbers, berries, grapes, peaches, beans, basil, carrots—you name it, it's probably gushing from local farms.

Here at the house the green beans are climbing up the chain-link fence behind the raised beds and twining themselves around anything that gets too close, and two gallon-sized harvests haven't dented their production. The same can be said of the Sungold cherry tomatoes at the neighbors', so much so that they were desperately begging anyone who walked by to please please please pick some so they wouldn't go to waste.

Tomato salad this time of year is a must, so it only made sense to quickly steam some of the beans and throw them in with some of those tomatoes along with half a red onion and basil. A quick toss with olive oil and salt, and we were halfway to dinner.

You could throw in some big, crunchy croutons or lightly toasted rounds of rye to soak up the juices and you'd have dinner right there. Even better, add some feta or fresh mozzarella. I could go on an on…is it any wonder I love this time of year?

Tomato and Green Bean Salad

3 c. coarsely chopped tomatoes
3 c. green beans, snapped into 1" pieces
1/2 med. red onion, diced
1 c. basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 c. shiso leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt to taste

Put all ingredients into large salad bowl and toss gently to combine. So easy!

More Gratuitous Food Porn: Terrific Tomato Salad

Guess what? We're eating lots of grilled corn and tomatoes around here, savoring the flavors of late summer as long as we possibly can. This time our homegrown tomatoes appear in a salad with balsamic vinaigrette, and Dave threw a chicken on the grill to make the whole deal even better.

Tomato Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Obviously this salad should be made from tomatoes picked off your own plants at the peak of the season or bought from your favorite farmer at the market. Different colors, sizes and types make it fun. Oh, and this is great served with bread, since the tomato juice and dressing in the bottom of the bowl is awesome for sopping.

2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 c. aged balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3/4 c. olive oil
4-6 c. tomatoes, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Put garlic into small mixing bowl. Add Dijon and vinegar and whisk to combine. Sloooowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking like mad (this is best accomplished with help from an assistant, but it can be managed by yourself). The aim is to emulsify the mixture so the texture is thick and looks like peanut butter.

Put tomatoes in large salad bowl. Pour 1/2 c. of dressing over top and toss. Salt and pepper to taste. (Adjust amount of dressing to your liking.)

Summer Salad Smackdown: Feasting Chilean Style

I'd been looking forward to this particular evening for years, ever since I found out that one of my neighbors was from Chile. We'd see each other at the dog park, eventually sharing bottles of wine and dinners, and he'd promised that one day he'd make a real Chilean dinner for us.

That night finally arrived late this summer, and I'd volunteered to bring a salad to go with the pastel de choclo (a beef and corn casserole, left) and chanco en piedra (tomato salsa served with bread) he was planning to make. I asked if tomatoes would be appropriate, since they were ripening in our garden. He said tomato salads are very popular in Chilean cuisine, and I began researching various recipes online.

I ran across a website, Eat Wine Blog, written by an American woman living in Chile, Liz Caskey, that had a recipe that sounded very promising. I wrote to ask permission to use it on the blog and she wrote back immediately.

"This salad is a staple on every Chilean table," she wrote. "I am sure if you polled any Chilean, they would name this as a perennial favorite…The freshness of the tomatoes, mildness of the onions, and the herbs create crunchy, juicy, tangy, herby ecstasy in your mouth."

She added, "You'll be licking the plate, especially if they're heirloom tomatoes or the shirtsoakers we get here from Limache."

And you know what? She was absolutely right.

Chilean Tomato Salad

Adapted from Liz Caskey's Eat Wine Blog

1  red onion
1 tsp. of salt or sugar
6 c. chopped tomatoes, various colors and sizes
¼ c. cilantro, chopped fine
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
Sea salt to taste
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Slice the onion paper-thin, cutting with the grain (lengthwise). Separate the sections with your fingers. To temper, sprinkle a teaspoon of salt or sugar, combine well with your hands to mix. Set aside for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, chop the tomatoes into a large bowl. Traditionally, most Chileans will peel them, though it's fine to leave the skins on.

When the onion has rested and rendered its “milk,” rinse it well with cold water and gently squeeze out the excess liquid. Arrange the onions on top of the tomatoes and top with the chopped cilantro. Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly toss before serving.

Summer Salad Smackdown: When God Gives You Tomatoes…

Most Portland gardeners are just starting to get some tomatoes, and contributor Jim Dixon of RealGoodFood has perfectly captured our anticipation.

I finally ate a few Sungolds (the perfect cherry tomato) from my garden last week. My other tomatoes are still green, but that first taste filled me with anticipation of more to come. All this heat is good for some things, after all.

If you’re firing up the grill to avoid any additional heat in the kitchen, be sure to toast some bread over the coals after they’ve cooled down a little. I usually do bread last, when whatever else I’m cooking over fire has been moved to the indirect heat section of he Weber. You have to watch it closely though, since it can go from lightly browned to burnt in a couple of seconds. Take a few slices and, with some good tomatoes, make this simple bread salad.

Panzanella

I use whole wheat levain from New Seasons for this; Grand Central campagnolo or Ken’s country brown would also be good. Rub several slices of grilled or toasted bread on both sides with a whole, peeled clove of garlic. Cut into bite sized pieces.

Chop 4-5 tomatoes into similar chunks. Combine with the bread, then tear the leaves from a bunch of basil and add them. Toss with about a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil, a tablespoon or so of Katz Late Harvest Zinfandel vinegar, and a healthy pinch of flor de sal. Taste, tweak the oil, vinegar, or salt if necessary, and let sit for 15 minutes or so before serving.

You can find Jim and his supply of imported salts, Italian olive oils, Katz vinegars and assorted dry goods most Mondays from 5 to 7 pm at Activespace, 833 SE Main #122 (ground floor, NE corner of bldg.).

More salads in the Smackdown: Kale Salad with Anchovies, Olives and Lemon.

What Can I Bring?

Tis the season for barbecues, casual gatherings with friends and eating outdoors. Which means the question "What can I bring?" is getting a workout. In my mom's day, you could get by with a block of cream cheese smothered in a jar of barbecue sauce or salsa, with a box of Triscuits or, her favorite, Wheat Thins, to scoop it up.

But with the plethora of farmers' markets offering a bounty of prepared foods and produce, why settle for chips and salsa when you can pick up a loaf of rye flatbread from Fressen and a cute round of Valentine or Adelle cheese from Ancient Heritage Dairy (right)? Or how about a hunk of paté from Chop with fennel crackers from La Panzanella? (Sorry, Mom…)

And soon, oh so very soon, we'll be swimming in tomatoes, both at the markets and here at home. Which brings me to a brilliant solution, if I do say so myself, that  I came up with when my assigned dish at our block party was a side salad. Those diabolical devils at New Seasons had a huge display of gorgeous heirloom tomatoes luring shoppers with their siren song of summer, and a nearby aisle had tubs of cute little mozzarella balls marinating in olive oil and herbs.

Problem solved with not even 10 minutes of assembly, and the side benefit of wowing the neighbors. Hee hee!

Heirloom Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Oil-cured Olives

4 heirloom tomatoes, preferably contrasting colors
Small tub marinated mozzarella balls
12 oil-cured olives, pitted
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice tomatoes thickly and arrange on platter. Halve small mozzarella balls or, if using larger balls, slice and scatter over top of tomatoes. Chop olives roughly and scatter. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Tomato Fever

Everybody's got the fever
That is somethin' you all know
Fever isn't such a new thing
Fever started long ago

- You Give Me Fever by Peggy Lee

Everybody's got their own favorite season for foods, whether it's meat braising on the stove, promising warmth and comfort after a day skiing in perfect powder or a pile of fresh fava beans in the spring, simply dressed with olive oil, mint and a shower of salt.

For me it's tomatoes, particularly the first of the summer's heirloom varieties, that I long for every year. With names like Purple Cherokee, Green Zebra and French Carmello, there's nothing like their cool, sweet, acidic bite, eaten out of hand right off the vine, sliced in a myriad of salads or simply chopped and spooned onto toasted bread.

This salad is perfect as a side with grilled meats, or could also be used for topping crostini for a cool, refreshing appetizer. With some chunks of oiled and grilled bread mixed in it makes a great panzanella, and you could add cucumber as well. Any tomatoes will work, but a mix of colors and shapes make it tastier and more fun.

Tuscan Tomato White Bean Salad
Adapted from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook and Read-N-Eat.com

2-3 c. diced tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
4-6 small cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. fresh basil, chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 15-oz. cans (or 3 c.) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Combine ingredients in a large salad bow. Toss gently to combine. Best made about an hour ahead of time so the garlic and herb flavors will meld.