What do cereal, ribollita and panzanella have in common? All three were invented by the Italians as ways to use up any bread leftover from previous meals. Repurposing extra bread is not just about monetary thrift, though. We hold it as a worthy kitchen philosophy to use up every ingredient you own, letting as little go to waste as possible.
This mantra easily becomes reality when panzanella is on the table. If you like the croutons on salad, you’ll adore bread salad, or panzanella, which contains at least double the quantity of croutons in a normal salad. It’s like the croutons migrated from side dish to main course, from a movie extra to center stage.
In panzanella, the bread cubes, crisped up in the oven, get seasoned by their summery tomato salad partner: sweet tomato, rich olive oil, sharp garlic, and a good pinch of salt saturate the crumb. We pair this irresistible salad with crispy chicken, flavored with marjoram, an oregano-like herb that makes us feel like we’re in the Italian countryside, eating panzanella and enjoying summer.
You can get the full recipe for this colorful dinner over on our recipe card for Marjoram-Garlic Chicken with Jersey Tomato Panzanella. We’ll deliver all the ingredients you need to make it if you sign up by tomorrow.
We’re happy to be participating in Food Network’s Summer Fest, a weekly blog tour of all the incredible produce we’ll be enjoying this summer. This week, the topic is tomatoes. You can see the other bloggers’ delicious creations by following the links below.
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Juicy Summer Heirloom Tomato Fruit Salad
Dishing: Homemade Tomato and Herbs Pasta Sauce
Taste With The Eyes: Pomodorini e Mozzarella Ciliegine
The Sensitive Epicure: Tiny Insalata Caprese
Weelicious: Heirloom Tomato Pico de Gallo
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Bruschetta
Red or Green?: Nachos with Fresh Tomatoes, Pinto Beans and Chiles
Domesticate Me: Spaghetti with Cherry Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella and Basil
The Heritage Cook: Caprese Salad and Caprese Pizza
Daily*Dishin: Garden Vegetable Fresh Pasta Sauce
Pinch My Salt: 20 Tomato Recipes
Dishin & Dishes: Pesto Rosso (Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto)
Devour: Five Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipes
FN Dish: Tomato Recipes Worthy of a Dinner Party
