Panzanella - more than bread salad

Another great summer dish - assembled for the "Summer Salad" Event over at My Life as a reluctant housewife and the monthly (virtual) gathering organised by Meeta. The theme this time round is "holiday cuisine" ... but sadly, my holidays this year, lovely as they were, couldn't get me to bring up any summery feelings. I left London in perfect sunshine and warmth to be greeted with rain at my arrival in Vienna, rain that shouldn't stop for a fortnight. Pretty depressive, no kidding.
But just before I left, in the true spirit of summer holidays, I made a dish I first encountered when travelling to Italy with my parents as a kid. Panzanella is often translated as "bread salad", which does anything but whet my appetite, but it's much better than it sounds... and if you believe the many food magazines available in this country, it is experiencing a bit of a revival lately. Unsurprisingly, as it is a great summer dish and so simple to throw together.
I often say it simply is gazpacho before the invention of the blender, as the ingredients are virtually the same - apart from the usual suspects of tomatoes, peppers, cucumber and onion, I normally use day-old ciabatta bread and toast it in a pan, then toss in (home-made) pesto for that refreshing basil kick. With almost over-ripe tomatoes at the height of their season, this quick and healthy salad is the embodiment of summer...

Panzanella
(serves 2 as a summery main)

3 slices day-old ciabatta bread
2 tbsp pesto (preferrably home-made)
½ cucumber
1 yellow pepper
1 medium red onion)
2 big beefsteak tomatoes* (650 g)
1 handful basil

For the vinaigrette:
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp dijon mustard

Cut the ciabatta into 2-3 cm cubes and dry-roast in a non-stick pan. Transfer to a bowl and toss in 2 tbsp of pesto while still hot. Leave to cool.
Clean and cut all vegetables into 3 cm chunks, combine in a bowl and pour over the vinaigrette. Combine thoroughly. Just before serving, fold in the ciabatta pieces and decorate with fresh basil.

* Beefstaeak tomatoes are large tomatoes which have a firm flesh and where the percentage of flesh vs. juice/seeds prevails. This will allow you to cut almost perfect dice, rather than the pieces disintegrating.

Comments

[Tanna]

Woo, never thought about the ingredients being so much alike.
Really like your idea of toasting the bread with pesto!
I really do love Panzanella!

[angelika]

Welcome back ! I think I would even love to eat this with 12 degree C morning temperature (as today), if the tomatoes were ripe and sweet. Sorry that you chose the worst part of this summer here, July was excellent and VERY hot. Kind regards !

[johanna]

angelika, i think the moments we shared on your lovely terrace were probably the nicest weatherwise... but i know it is very unusual to have such a bad week in austria in the summer!

[Meeta]

johanna, loveyl idea to toast your bread with pesto. and thanx for entering this to the monthly mingle. i love panzella too and it is just perfect for the event.

[Jeanne]

Ooooh, one of my favourite salads! ButI never make it for myself... Possibly time I started! I've been making caprese with beefsteak tomatoes and it's great - when you lift a tomato slice onto your plate, you don't leave half of it behind in the shape of juice and pips!

[Gabriella]

Yumm. I have had this twice this summer!

the rcap will be done shortly

[Ruth]

Salad looks awesome. Too bad your holiday was so wet!

[tannaz]

YUM! I was first introduced to panzanella years ago at a sweet sweet restaurant in Seattle called the Little Door. My sister and I sat on the sunny patio, and our waiter was a dead ringer for George Clooney. Great memories your rendition brings back...