Winter panzanella with orange, roasted beets, and pomegranate seeds
Roast
Italian cuisine
Roasting
To our minds the most masterful use of stale bread occurs in Italian cuisine, where a few leftover slices are the basis for a most heavenly salad with fresh summer tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil. We turn to panzanella when our garden overflows with tomatoes -- and are heartbroken once the deluge finally runs dry. A few years ago as we contemplated a loaded backyard orange tree, it dawned on us that winter fruit would carry our favorite salad through cold weather, sweet citrus supplying the juice that toasted bread ably soaks up. We add other stars of the season too, such as pomegranate seeds and roasted beets, plus a handful of fresh herbs. The quantities are fluid -- more or less of any of the fruits and vegetables works just as well. Sometimes we substitute olives for the pomegranate, or fennel for the celery. It just depends on what’s in the fridge.Toasting the stale bread adds flavor and means it retains a bit of crunch, even while soaking up a generous dose of juice.
Share:
0
55
0
Comments