Growing Season Salad
An easy-going salad of at-their-peak vegetables, fresh herbs, bread cubes and organic cheese. Italians make an even simpler version of it, called panzanella, with just tomatoes, bread and basil. But that’s the beauty of this salad: the method is intuitive, the seasons steer the ingredients and you can layer the flavors and textures as simply or intricately as you like. In spring it might be a genteel jumble of blanched asparagus, dill and Parmesan; in summer perhaps a riotous toss of garden veggies, mixed fresh herbs and salty feta.
Either way, the salad gains main-course substance with the addition of stale bread. You’ll need something sturdy and dry enough to soak up the flavors without getting soggy. If only fresh bread is on hand, dry it in a toaster oven for 10 minutes then let it cool.
Ingredients:
2 cups vegetables (blanched asparagus or beans, chopped cucumbers or zucchini, etc.)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup Organic Valley cheese (diced, shredded or crumbled)
1/4 cup thin-sliced sweet onions
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Chopped fresh herbs to taste: dill, basil, mint, cilantro, parsley, etc.
2 teaspoons minced garlic, mashed with a fork
Salt and pepper to taste
5-6 cups stale (but not hard) bread cubes
Instructions:
Toss all ingredients except bread in large bowl. If time permits, let the mixture stand at room temperature to develop flavor, tossing occasionally, for about 1/2 hour. Toss in bread and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
Copyright by Terese Allen
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