Panzanella salad my way

This is a simple Tuscan salad where the star ingredient is stale bread and vine ripe tomatoes. Onions or cucumber or peppers, or whatever is in the fridge could be added. For me, juicy tomatoes are essential as when you salt them, they release the juices in which the stale bread absorbs. I toasted the bread on the BBQ as in my bruschetta video, as I like the charr flavour with the salad.

I change the combination of veggies sometimes, but Basil and tomatoes are always present.

So this is Panzanella my way, a fresh salad for a hot summer day.

Servings: 5

Prep time: 10 minutes

Grilling time: 10 minutes

Start to finish: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

½ Baguette or stale bread

3 big ripe tomatoes

3 coloured peppers

1 garlic clove

400 grams mozzarella (optional) or 4 balls

Handful of basil leaves

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

Method:

· Prepare the baguette as is my bruschetta video, or use stale bread.

· Grill the peppers on the barbeque for 2 to 3 minutes on each side on direct high flame or use the stovetop grilling recipe as the video here

· Cover the peppers, and when cool enough to handle, peel, deseed and cut.

· Cube the bread, slice the garlic and cut the tomatoes into chunky bits.

· Add the bread, tomatoes, garlic, peppers, salt and basil to a bowl and toss with olive oil.

· Once the juices run, transfer to a serving platter and top with mozzarella (optional) and drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil.

Per Serving: 510 Calories; 32g Fat (56.3% calories from fat); 23g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fibre; 72mg Cholesterol; 1043mg Sodium.