“Some days you eat salads and go to the gym, some days you eat cupcakes and refuse to put on pants. It’s called balance.”
– Tamara Kulish
Now that it’s October, one of my yearly tasks is to take down my gardens and clean them out. I usually use compost and mulch to prepare them for the winter. The only plants I leave in place are my blooming flowers and my precious tomatoes. I am one of those folks who runs like the dickens to cover up those wonderful plants when there is a prediction of a “scattered” frost.
This year my tomatoes seemed to lack their usual flavor. I was more than disappointed, and I’m not sure if it was something I did wrong. But those plants, to me, are still gold, and I will hang on to every one of them for as long as I can.
The vines start to look pretty sad as October arrives. Regardless, they still produce fruit, and although the tomatoes may lose a bit of their luster with the cool weather, I will still gather them. When the first hard frost occurs, it will be time to plant my garlic and finish bedding my now pitiful-looking tomato garden. Until then, I will gather every last tomato and visit the farmers market frequently for a final taste of summer’s best.
As you can tell, my love for tomatoes runs deep, so when I got this recipe, I was all in. I am referring to panzanella, or tomato bread salad. If you’ve had this before, you know what I’m talking about.
This recipe comes from the Tuscany region of Italy, and dates back as far as the late 1500s. Farmers would soak their stale bread in water to soften it, then mix it with surplus vegetables from their gardens, along with some vinegar.
This recipe for panzanella from Julie Polak is an amazing version of this marvelous salad. Julie is a volunteer at Harpswell Aging at Home. She grew up on Long Island, New York, worked her first job at a Girl Scout camp, and later attended school in Boston. She then moved to Maine, where she has lived in Cundy’s Harbor since 1982. Julie is enthusiastic in whatever she does. She has developed a passion for both cooking and gardening, and this outstanding recipe showcases both skills.
This is one of those salads where making your own croutons is worth every bit of the effort. The flavors are superb, and it is now my favorite salad to make. I chose to add salami and mozzarella balls and make this for dinner. Trust me when I tell you that you need to make this. It wasn’t just a meal; it was an event.
By the way, October is Vegetarian Awareness Month. Skip the meat and cheese. With or without, this salad recipe is outstanding. Enjoy!
Panzanella (Tomato bread salad)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 small baguette (about 12 inches in length)
- 1-2 large cloves of garlic, mashed with side of knife and made into a paste with a pinch of salt
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for brushing on the bread
- 1 cucumber cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1/2 medium red onion chopped into 1/4-inch pieces, diced and soaked in cool water
- 2-plus pounds tomatoes, a mix of cherry, plum and other types. Cut cherries in half, others in 1-inch pieces.
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed (chiffonade/roll leaves together like a cigar and slice into thin strips)
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Optional, in amounts of your choosing:
- Small mozzarella pearls
- Small chunks of hard salami
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Split baguette in half lengthwise. Mix garlic paste with enough olive oil (2-3 tablespoons) to brush on the insides of the baguette. Cut each side lengthwise into 3 long strips, then cut the strips into roughly 3/4-inch cubes. Place croutons on a cookie sheet, crust-side down. Bake for 25 minutes. Check and rotate the pan every 10 minutes. Bake until the croutons are dark gold. Let cool.
Drain red onion and add to a nonmetallic bowl. Add tomatoes and cucumber pieces. When croutons have cooled, add croutons and basil to the salad. Whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Pour over salad and toss. The croutons will absorb the juices from the tomatoes, oil and vinegar.
If you want to serve this as a complete meal, rather than a side dish, add the fresh mozzarella pearls and 3/4-inch pieces of hard salami.
Cooking at 43° North, a program of Harpswell Aging at Home, brings Harpswell residents together for cooking programs, in person and online. Watch the Anchor calendar for listings.
Harpswell Aging at Home always needs cooks for its Meals in a Pinch program, which provides nutritious meals to seniors in need of assistance. For more information, contact Julie Moulton at 207-330-5416 or juliemoulton28@gmail.com.
