Why My Tomato Salad, Is Perfect for a Picnic Gathering.

“Easy Delicious Cooking”. Day old bread never tasted this good as when it's served in the best ever summer salad, Panzanella. A cold Chardonnay on a balmy afternoons, picnic is the perfect accompany. Born from the Italian tradition of cucina povera (peasant cooking), where nothing goes to waste, Panzanella is less about precise recipes and more about the celebration of sun-ripened summer produce. Your family will love it. The bread acts as a sponge, for the vinaigrette of virgin olive oil and the sharp red wine vinegar, along with those precious savoury juices released by the tomatoes. The result is a summer’s paradise with a cold glass of white wine to make it even better. I off course changed it by adding kalamata olives and maybe some feta cheese. It’s a marriage of all that is good in Tuscany during one of those amazing best ever summers day. “Why this is Different?” The Greek in me gets me to add the best olives in the world, Kalamata olives to make this fantastic salad even better. Now that is not traditional but it is the best ever Panzanella salad that I know my family will love. THE INGREDIENTS: 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced into thin layers, 50 ml of extra virgin olive oil or as much as you want. 2 medium shallot, peeled finely sliced 2 cloves of garlic, 1 crushed for the toasted bread, the other to go in the salad peeled and sliced, 2 x 300gm / 10.5 oz punnets of cherry tomatoes cut in half, 1/2 a red capsicum (bell pepper) seeds removed thinly sliced, 1 sprigs of fresh thyme, ( lemon thyme is excellent) 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste, 4 slices of 1 day old crusty bread cut into small chunks and toasted in a frying pan with some olive oil, 1/4 of a cup of basil leaves, finely chopped, ¼ cup of dried Kalamata olives without their seeds. (Optional) ½ cup of feta cheese (optional), 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese, THE COOKING METHOD: Step 1. Prepare the vegetables, Carrots, Shallots, Cherry Tomatoes, and Red Capsicum. Place the cherry tomatoes in a large bowl add some salt and mix gently. Set the tomatoes aside for about 20 minutes to draw out those delicious tomato juices. Keep and eye on it. You may have to add some more salt. Step 2. Prepare the Garlic and set aside. One lot of Garlic for the bread and another for the salad. Prepare the Parmesan cheese. Step 3. Cut, or for a more rustic look tear the bread into small pieces. Place in a hot frying pan with olive oil. Add salt. Keep mixing until the bread is toasted and coloured on the outside. When the bread is almost ready sprinkle the crushed garlic and parmesan cheese on it and allow the cheese to melt over the bread. Keep mixing and set aside. Step 4. When the tomatoes have released their juice add the thyme, olive oil, garlic and the vinegar. Please try to use red wine vinegar it makes a huge difference. Step 5. Check the seasoning and adjust. Step 6. Add the carrots, capsicums and shallots. Mix gently and add the toasted bread. Here you make a decision according to your taste. Add some more olive oil and red wine vinegar as you prefer. Step 7. Add the basil leaves, and the kalamata olives and mix. Putting the salad in a refrigerator for 20-30 minutes is ideal for a summers lunch served with some crumbled feta and a chilled white wine. Kali Orexi…. 00:00 Intro, 00:38 Start the preparation, 03:16 Fry the bread, 04:08 Put the salad together, 05:23 Add the bread to the salad, 05:56 Add semi dried olives, 07:18 Finished dish. Hashtags for recipe: #panzanella #panzanellasalad #italiancooking #summer salad #breadsalad #mediterraneansalad #fetasalad #fetta #kalamataolives #easyrecipes #healthyrecipes #saladrecipe #homemade #foodie #cookingvideo #youtuberecipes #freshingredients #tomatosalad #oliveoil #basil #quickmeals #lunchideas #dinnerideas #mediterraneandiet #rusticcooking #crispyprosciutto #easycooking #seasonalrecipes #summerrecipes