Please note that this recipe was passed along to us, via one of the wine boards--I'll give appropriate credit, when I find out his name. Richard and I have tried this and it is possitively addictive!
PANZANELLA
Tuscan bread salad is a perfect use of basil.
You will need cubes of day old bread (use a good country
loaf made of white flour). Remove the crusts, optionally. You need about 1/2 the
total volume of salad as bread cubes (about 3/4 inch on a side).
Vinaigrette: Lots of EVOO, some red wine vinegar, a
squeeze of lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper. I, sometimes, like to
marinate chopped red onion in the vinaigrette as it moderates the onion.
Vegetable mixture: Lots of chopped vine-ripe tomatoes,
cubes of cucumber, bite size pieces of bell pepper (use 2-3 colors), and lots of
torn basil leaves.
Shaved Parmegiano-Reggiano
In large salad bowl ,
crush the garlic and
mince it and make the dressing in the salad bowl. Add the veggies and let them
marinate for 20 minutes or so. Add the bread cubes and let stand for 5 minutes.
Use the salt and pepper mill to adjust seasoning of the salad.
Use some mixed greens (e.g. torn red romaine and arugula).
Serve the panzanella on top of a bed of greens and top each portion with shaved
Reggiano
An extra drizzle of EVOO is
perfect, as would be a few good olives.