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Summertime is the perfect time to entertain. Wouldn't it be amazing to entertain your family and dinner guests by taking them on a trip to Italy all season long? And all you truly need is some stale bread?
Say hello to panzanella!
Panzanella is a classic and simple Tuscan chopped salad loaded with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and olive oil-and-vinegar-soaked bread. The latter ingredient is the reason this dish was invented hundreds of years ago as a way to use up stale bread. You can add anything you want to this salad, like olives or tuna, but we're going in a more seasonal direction with the addition of berries and Oregold peaches.
This peach panzanella salad is a feast for your eyes and your stomach. The vibrant colors from the fresh peaches and berries, crisp cucumbers, and basil, are always a stunner at summer get-togethers. And the homemade croutons, which are made using a mixture of honey and olive oil, will make you balk at throwing away stale bread ever again.
SERVINGS
- Baking sheet
- 1 pound day old bread (cut into bite sized cubes)
- 14 cup honey
- 12 cup olive oil
- 12 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 3 Oregold Peaches (pitted and sliced)
- 1 English cucumber (sliced)
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- 12 cup thinly sliced basil
- Preheat oven to 425˚ F.
- Place the cubed bread into a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Pour half of the olive oil mixture over the bread and toss to coat.
- Spread the bread in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for 6-7 minutes.
- Stir bread cubes and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
- Place croutons in a large mixing bowl. Add the peaches, cucumber, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and basil.
- Pour in the remaining olive oil mixture and toss to coat. Add additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.
