Panzanella Recipe

Panzanella usually uses stale bread as a way of using it up. Traditionally, it is soaked in water first, but here we will let the tomato juices work their magic. Feel free to make it your own by adding olives, onion and anything else you fancy.

This is a lovely recipe that is perfect for hot summer days.

Ingredients

A couple of slices of sourdough, tiger bread, any loaf really

Tomatoes, your own or ripe store-bought ones, as many as you like

A clove of garlic

A few fresh basil leaves

Olive oil and lemon

Mixed salad leaves

Method

Wash and cut up your tomatoes. Put them in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and add a little olive oil. Shred your basil and add it to the bowl. Give it all a good mix and then set it aside.

Toast your bread so that it takes on a bit of colour. Peel your garlic and then run it over the entire surface of the toasted bread. Put it on a plate.

Pile the tomatoes and the juice created on to the toasted slice of bread, and then let it sit for 10 minutes. This will help the toasted slice to soften and absorb the juices.

Add a handful of salad leaves, a dash of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

The perfect ‘lite bite’ for a hot summer’s day.