Panzanella Salad

Season: All year round

Serves 4-6

Time: 30mins

Panzanella is an eclectic Italian salad, perfect as a side dish at all occasions, from backyard barbeques to bustling banquets.

The two essential ingredients to any panzanella are bread (pane in Italian) and fresh tomatoes. Stale bread is perfect for this dish. Why throw it in the compost bin when you can tear it up and turn it into a tasty, nutritious salad.

I prefer to use a variety of tomatoes in panzanella. It looks great and will help to provide a wider range of micronutrients and healthy phytochemicals.

Ingredients

• 1kg tomatoes, sliced thickly

• 1/2 red onion, sliced

• 1/2 yellow capsicum, cut into chunks

• 8 baby cucumbers, sliced lengthways

• 1 handful of caperberries, halved

• 1 handful of Kalamata olives, pitted

• 2 handfuls of day-old sourdough bread, torn chunks

• 1 large handful of basil leaves, torn

• 80ml extra virgin olive oil

• balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• sea salt, to taste

Method

1. Place torn bread onto baking trail. Drizzle with oil and grill to your liking. Set aside to cool.

2. Place basil, olive oil and garlic into a mortar & pestle. Grind into a pesto. (alternately use a blender to blitz)

3. Spread tomatoes, onion, cucumber, capsicum, olives and caperberries onto a platter.

4. Throw toasted bread on top.

5. Drizzle vinegar and basil pesto on top.

6. Season with sea salt to taste.