Today kicks off a long weekend in Ontario. We are heading to my parents cottage and I couldn't be more excited. Hopefully the sun will be shining, meals will be eaten outdoors, beers will be consumed on the dock and as per usual, I'll never want to leave. Though I'm not quite sure how today marks the first day of August (where is the summer going?!), I am determined to consume as much summer produce as possible before its too late. With that in mind, I leave you today with a super simple summer panzanella -- a Tuscan salad of bread and tomatoes -- with a few added summer fixings. A perfect side for long weekend summer gatherings. Happy August y'all! (can you tell I just got back from NOLA?!)
A SUMMER PANZANELLA // serves 4-6 as a side
Set oven to broil.
Ingredients:
2 cups day old bread, cut into cubes
2 peaches, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 shallot, sliced thinly
4-6 large basil leaves, roughly chopped
4 large handfuls of leafy lettuce, chopped
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt + pepper
What to do:
In a large bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, peaches and scallion. Toss to combine and set aside.
To make the croutons, toss the bread with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet and broil for 4-6 minutes, or until browned and crispy -- keeping a close eye to avoid charring. When ready, remove from oven and set aside.
Add the basil and lettuce to the bowl, then the warm croutons. Dress the bowl with roughly 1-2 T olive oil, 1-2 T balsamic vinegar and a few grinds of freshly cracked pepper. Toss, taste and adjust quantities accordingly.
Serve immediately.