Monday, September 1, 2008

Stale bread with tomatoes....or Panzanella if you want.



The Italians have an amazing way of making the most boring food taste like it was made to please your palate. Take stale bread, for instance. Most of us will throw away the last slices of three days old bread. Not in Italy. Not only do they transfer it into something new, they even dare to call it a salad. Or Panzanella, if you want.
I love this dish but make sure you use day old bread and the best tomatoes you can buy. It makes all the difference!

4 slives of stale bread, cut into cubes
1 T garlig oil
4 T canola oil

1/2 red onion, sliced paper thin
1 lb tomatoes, cubed*
1/2 cucubmer, cubed
fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
4 T canola oil
1 T balsamic vinegar

Preheat ove to 300F.
Place cubes bread in an oven proof dish.
Mix 4T canola oil and 1T garlic oil in a small cup. Sprinkle oil over bread and toss gently afterwards. Let the bread dry in the oven for about an hour. Let cool.

Mixt the ingredients for the dressing in a cup.
Then mix tomatoes, cucubmer and onion in a large bowl. Add the dried bread cubes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle the dressing over the bread and vegetables. Sprinkle basil leaves ontop and toss lightly.

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