Panzanella. A robust, yet simple dish with humble beginnings.
Heirloom tomato and peach panzanella is a respectful twist on a classic favorite. The flavor combination is simply gorgeous, and while heirlooms certainly take the lead here, they give a slight nod to their stone fruit friend of summer, the peach.
Panzanella is steeped in humble beginnings. Historically, Italian peasants would soak stale bread in a little water and mix it with fresh vegetables and basil from the garden. There are references to panzanella as early as the fourteenth century, with mentions of pan lavato, which translates to “washed bread.” A few centuries later, an entire poem was dedicated to a salad of bread, onions, purslane and cucumbers – much like the versions of panzanella we enjoy today. Interestingly, tomatoes were not included in early references of panzanella because they didn’t exist yet in Italy.
Over time, panzanella became traditionally prepared with garden tomatoes, few days old bread, fresh basil, and water (for reviving the stale parts of the bread). Later, red wine vinegar and a robust olive oil would provide us with the version of panzanella that we’ve come to think of as traditional.
While I deviate from tradition a bit here and toast-up fresh ciabatta bread (I love the extra flavor that toasting provides), the resulted bread should still reflect its historical version and be perfectly soft and chewy. Not crunchy or soggy.
With peach orchards ripe for the picking, I sought to add them as another in-season treat, and so I deviated from tradition again by tossing in a freshly picked and sliced-up peach. When combined with olive oil, vinegar, shallots and tomatoes, the peach adds a gentle amount of sweetness that complements the other ingredients beautifully.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups torn rustic bread, (ex. ciabatta)
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
- Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 small clove garlic, finely grated
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1 ½ lbs heirloom tomatoes, cut into bite-sized wedges
- 1 large peach, cut into bite-sized wedges
- Handful of basil, thinly sliced
- Fresh mozzarella, torn (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the bread out, drizzle with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil, and season lightly with salt. Bake the bread to dry it out and to lightly toast until golden brown, about 10 minutes (keep a watchful eye).
- In the meantime, in a large bowl (large enough to later accommodate the bread) add the remaining olive oil, vinegar, garlic, shallot, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and a few turns of fresh cracked pepper, whisk to emulsify. Add the tomatoes, peach and basil. Gently toss and allow the mixture to sit for the flavors to come together, about 30 minutes.
- Add the the bread. Lightly toss to distribute the juices and then let the bread sit to absorb and soften, about 5-10 minutes (toss again halfway through the wait). Add the torn mozzarella and toss gently. Serve and enjoy!
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