If you live in Vancouver, or ever decide to visit, there is an Italian restaurant that I highly recommend you visit - Savio Volpe. The menu is rustic and changes regularly with the seasons. One of my favourite late summer dishes there is the panzanella salad. While I do use all of my restraint and share, I could easily eat the whole bowl by myself.
My version of panzanella salad is a riff on the Savio Volpe Panzanella Salad. I was lucky enough to see them make it and have adjusted the quantities to my liking.
A Panzanella Salad is a perfect example of seasonal eating, it highlights the tomato at it's peak during the late summer/early fall months. I wouldn't call myself a gardener, but I do have raised vegetable beds and I grow a few tomato bushes every year. The recipe below happens to include tomatoes that I grow, as I will add in whatever I have that's ripe. Feel free to use any tomatoes you love though - this salad works with all varieties.
Aside from fresh tomatoes, the second key to a great panzanella salad is the bread. It MUST be day old (absorbs the liquid better), otherwise it will turn to mush. Also, I love to tear the bread into pieces instead of meticulously cutting them. I feel this looks far more authentic to the salads you would find in Italy and it provides more surface area for the fabulous vinaigrette to stick!
While this salad is AMAZING, what would be best is to go straight to Savio Volpe and enjoy a fabulous rustic Italian meal - you won't regret it!
Enjoy,
Krista
Panzanella Salad, Savio-Volpe Style (adapted from Savio-Volpe)
Ingredients
4 tomatoes, thinly sliced (I used 2 Roma & 2 Big Northern Heirloom)
1 pint (or 1 - 1.5 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved (I mixed Sweet 100's & Sun Gold)
2 Persian cucumbers, halved then cut in half moons
1/4 sweet onion - cut into thin strips
4 celery heart stalks sliced thinly on bias (reserve leaves for garnish)
1/2 red pepper, sliced thinly then cut in half
1.5 teaspoons capers, drained
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn roughly
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 baguette (or 1/2 round boule) day old sourdough, cut into large piece, then torn into small bits (about 1" cubed)
Tomato Vinaigrette
1 garlic clove, mashed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste, to taste
6 basil leaves, torn
6 over-ripe or split sweet 100 cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Garnish
fresh basil leaves, torn
drizzle good extra virgin olive oil
celery leaves, roughly chopped
Method
For The Tomato Vinaigrette
In a medium to large sized mortar and pestle add crushed garlic, salt, pepper, anchovy paste, basil leaves, over ripe cherry tomatoes, red wine vinegar and mix with pestle until a chunky vinaigrette forms. Slowly drizzle in olive oil stirring as you go. Allow ingredients to marinate for at least 30 minutes before dressing the salad.
For The Salad
In a large serving bowl add tomatoes (sliced and cherry), cucumbers, onion, celery, red peppers and gently mix. Top with capers, basil leaves, salt, pepper and torn bread chunks. Toss together.
Spoon Tomato Vinaigrette over top of salad mixture. Serve immediately.
* Panzanella Salad is best the day it is made.
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