Italian Panzanella

Panzanella is a bread topping designed to use leftover bread. It is often used with red wine vinegar. This recipe uses aceto balsamico gran reserva.

This preparation works well with fresh bread cut in three quarters of an inch in thickness. It is also best to toast fresh bread before using.

Ingredients:
One half loaf of day old Italian bread cut into 1/2″ cubes
two red ripe tomatoes, remove seeds, dice into half-inch pieces
one cucumber, peeled, and chopped into half-inch chunks
three cloves garlic, peeled and pressed through a garlic press
one half cup chopped red onion
one half cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
three sprigs of fresh basil, to use for garnish
one third cup extra-virgin olive oil
one quarter cup Grand Reserva Modena balsamic vinegar
one pinch of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method:
In a medium mixing bowl, add cubed bread, onions, bell pepper, cucumber, and tomatoes. Place garlic cloves, chopped basil, and balsamic vinegar in a blender and process until smooth. Leave the blender running, and slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toast the bread if you are using fresh bread. Combine the bread and vegetable mixture with the puréed dressing and garnish with sprigs of basil. Serve immediately. Should make about six servings

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Focaccia Artichoke Paste

1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
4 peppercorns
1 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
8 artichoke bottoms, trimmed
1 cup pitted green olives (Sicilian)
extra-virgin olive oil
1 focaccia sliced into two inch squares (sixteen squares)

In a saucepan, mix the lemon juice, salt, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaves with two cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and allow to boil for 15 minutes. Add the artichokes and boil for about 5 minutes or until the artichokes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the mixture and allow to cool. Combine together the olives and artichokes and chop them together with a knife until you have a very fine paste. Now mix in the olive oil. The result will be a soft paste. Spread the paste onto the focaccia squares and sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately.

Serves 8

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Start with some dried herbs and spices, which can usually be found at a Whole Foods store or online at Cruets.com

¼ teaspoon of each of the following:
oregano, basil, sun-dried tomatoes
½ cup of Spanish extra virgin olive oil
Ground black pepper to season
1 loaf of either Ciabatta, Focaccia or French baguette, sliced on the diagonal, about 1” thickMethod:

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Italian Bread Dipping Oil

1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar, Italian Masserie Balsamic Vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, use Italian or Spanish olive oil
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated. Try to find a Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
3 cloves of fresh garlic, pressed through a garlic press
A pinch of fresh ground peppercorns, black, white, red (optional)
1 loaf Italian bread
Assorted appetizer crackers 

Grate the Asaigo cheese. Add in a mixing bowl all ingredients except Balsamic Vinegar. Add Parmigiano cheese, and grated Asaigo cheese as well. Mix with a fork. Last, drizzle balsamic vinegar over the dip and apply to bread or crackers. Garnish with a dash of fresh ground pepper if desired

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Roasted garlic cloves recipe

Ingredients:

1 head garlic 
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Method:

roasted garlic recipe, roasted garlic cloves 

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