You need:Enough tomato, chunked
Yesterday's baguette, in cubes or torn pieces
Two kinds of basil from your terrace or garden or windowsill or market or CSA box or store or neighbour or...?
Good vinegar
Good olive oil
Salt, sugar, pepper
In the bottom of the bowl, put the bread, then the tomato. Ratio of about one third bread to two thirds tomato. Shake some vinegar (I used sherry) over the top; sprinkle a little sugar, more salt, lots of pepper. Dribble some oil. Set aside, covered, for an hour or so. Then tear up some basil leaves and toss over the top, and drizzle a little more oil.
The bread soaks up the delicious juices. This is a wonderful summer salad. Bizarrely, it works very well with nectarines, too. Picture to follow.
OMG! Must buy a baguette today to let it get stale enough to tear up tomorrow, when surely i will be able to buy tomatoes at the Farmer's Market. Have Thai basil in the garden, and plenty of the other ingredients on hand. Oh boy!
ReplyDeletepanzanella.
ReplyDeletegreat dish. all good cooking should avoid wastefulness.
Mmmmm. A family tradition (and probably other French families did this too, for all I know) was that the youngest child got the juices at the bottom of the tomato salad bowl to mop up with bread. This sounds even better.
ReplyDeleteOh MAN, I'm going to make some RIGHT now.
ReplyDeleteNectarines? Yes, why not. I've used China Flats (those funny-shaped peaches which I think you call do'nuts?)with mint/olive oil.
ReplyDeleteReally, if food is fresh and a combination looks good then it probably will taste good.