So Many Dishes

The combination of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil is a match made in heaven. The color combination is just as Italian as the taste, too.

The best caprese I ever ate was, of course, in Italy. It was in Montforte d’Alba, a village in the Piedmont, neighboring Barolo. Ken and I took a walking tour in the area in 2013, and we stopped in the village at lunchtime. It had been a hot, mostly uphill hike that morning, and we were so glad to sit under the shade of an awning as we ate at an outdoor cafe. Tomatoes are found more often in southern Italian cuisine, but these tasted as if they had been picked fresh from the garden. There was a drizzle of balsamic glaze, and it was just the best lunch.

The other Italian-influenced salad that I love is panzanella, the country’s version of a bread salad. There are lots of different takes on panzanella, many of them not remotely Italian. Ken likes the BLT panzanella that I’ve made, which is pretty self-explanatory. Another favorite is gazpacho panzanella, which cooked chicken, fresh veggies, and bread chunks in a tomato-y dressing made with V-8 juice. When I saw the recipe for panzanella with fresh mozzarella in the Milk Street Tuesday Night Mediterranean cookbook, though, I knew I’d found my new favorite salad. It is the perfect marriage of caprese and panzanella.

I’m including the recipe as written, but I really just used it as a guideline. I didn’t weigh the tomatoes. I’m still not using onions until Ken’s GERD calms down. I left out the parsley, and the amount of basil was determined by how much was in the package I bought at the store. (I haven’t been able to grow basil for the past few years, because downy mildew takes it out every time. And we put our Aerogarden indoor hydroponic garden away a few months ago because it was attracting insects). In place of the cream, I used half-and-half, because we usually have that on hand for coffee, and it worked just fine. I only drizzled a little of the sherry vinegar; salting the tomatoes, as the recipe calls for, makes them so flavorful that you don’t need much dressing. But do use the best, most flavorful olive oil you have. I used ciabatta rolls for the bread, since I had leftovers from making paninis the night before.

Panzanella with Fresh Mozzarella

• 1 1/2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 T. Sherry vinegar
• 8 ounces crusty white bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick and torn into bite-size pieces
• 3 T. Olive oil, plus more to serve
• 2 T. heavy cream
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
• 2 t. grated lemon zest
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil
• 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1 teaspoon salt; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the onion, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, toss the bread with the oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and light golden brown, 4 to 8 minutes. Immediately transfer to the bowl with the tomatoes and toss. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, using your hands, tear the mozzarella into bite-size chunks add to a small bowl. Stir in the cream, lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the onion to the tomato-bread mixture, reserving the vinegar. Add the basil and parsley, then toss. Taste and season with some of the reserved vinegar and salt and pepper, if needed. Add the cheese and a generous drizzle of olive oil, and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Happy eating!