The Panzanella salad was created in Tuscany as a way to use up stale bread. The classic version is traditionally made in summer. It includes chunks of stale bread and tomatoes, sometimes, onions and basil, simply dressed with olive oil and vinegar.
It is customary to soak the bread, as I discovered on a trip to the Amalfi coast a few years ago. I also discovered that the time honoured panzanella salad is not my jam. I really dislike the texture of the soaked bread. I prefer my stale bread with a bit of crunch.
This is my springtime take on the typical panzanella salad. It’s not prime tomato time yet, so I focused on spring produce. I have included a recipe at the end of the post, but there are no rules. Feel free to improvise and use what looks good to you.
I started with one of the first signs of spring, pea shoots. These are the sweet, curly, tender leaves and stems of the pea plant. Pea shoots have a subtle pea flavor and a light and crunchy texture. They are becoming more readily available. if you can’t find them, arugula or watercress would be a good substitute. If you can find fresh peas, they would add a perfect pop to this salad. Sugar snap peas are a good alternative.
Asparagus is a natural choice for this salad. Although I said there are no rules, I do have two fundamental edicts. Please don’t buy those flavourless skinny-ass pencil asparagus. And, please peel the bottom 2 inches of the stalk once you have trimmed the woody end off. It’s how I was trained. It’s a small detail that adds a bit of finesse and style to your salad.
Up next are radishes. Regular radishes add a bit of heat to the salad.
If you can find watermelon radishes, buy a few. They are larger than regular radishes and kind of gnarly looking on the outside.
But slice one open, and you will be smitten by that gorgeous magenta interior. They are milder than regular radishes and make any salad seem luxe.
And, because I refuse to believe that #putaneggonit is over, top the salad with a jammy (seven minute) egg.
Click here to print recipe for Spring Panzanella Salad.
Your food photography is always top notch, but this one is over the top. Extraordinary. Why don’t you consider a show of your food photography prints at Good Eats’ new gallery which will open at 473 Albert St in a couple of months? If you are, or might be interested, email me at marcotteconsulting@gmail.com and I will send you the call for artists information.
I do love the traditional, straight up tomato version. Call it the Italian upbringing but this version is so picture perfect. Speaking of, these photos are just exceptional Cindy! You can ‘smell’ the freshness and the colours are so attractive. Completely magazine worthy!