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Ahhhh, the dog days of summer and what better theme for this month’s Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club than having a “Beachcomber Picnic”! Currently, I’m lounging around in a cabin in the cool temps of the mountains with Mr. M. and P. (meat and potatoes). A short drive to a mountain lake, and not the ocean, is a wonderful way to escape the 100 degrees where we live (it’s 75 degrees up here!). Going to the beach is an extremely popular activity in the Carolina’s . . . insanely popular, in fact. So many people bee-line to the ocean, that we avoid the beach and the traffic that goes along with it from June through August! But the beachside recipes shared this month can be prepared for our very favorite time at the beach — and that’s October when the crowds are gone.
The Cooking Light blogging gang has once again prepared some mighty tasty dishes pulled from the archives of Cooking Light to pack up in our baskets and into the backs of our cars. Our host Valli, from More Than Burnt Toast (click to see all of the recipes) has done another fantastic job organizing everything! And the great thing about all of these recipes is how healthy and flavorful they are!
For me, a picnic dish needs to be super easy and portable. So I selected a recipe that gets better by the minute through the marinating of it’s ingredients. A salad of August-ripe, ruby-red, juicy tomatoes, onion, and basil provide the foundation for Panzanella Salad with Bacon, Tomato, and Basil. Even without the bread, this salad is a super winner in my salad book! The addition of bacon was new to me for panzanella, but I assume there are many panzanella creations that include pancetta (Italian bacon). This recipe also differs from traditional panzanella by the inclusion of lettuce as well. It’s a nice addition. It’s that type of recipe where you can add this or that and make it your own creation!
Panzanella Salad with Bacon, Tomato, and Basil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups coarsely chopped vine-ripe, red tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1 (8-ounce) loaf day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups torn romaine lettuce
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir with a whisk.
In a medium mixing bowl, add tomato, onion, basil, and bacon; toss well. Set aside.
Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until toasted; cool.
Add bread and lettuce to tomato mixture; toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.
For this salad, I chose to present the salad in a ‘layered’ manner. The torn romaine lettuce leaves are under the tomato mixture. Then I placed a layer of bread cubes on top of the lettuce. The tomato-basil-garlic-vinaigrette mixture is placed on top of the bread cubes and the bacon is crumbled on top to finish the salad off.
This is quite delicious, light and healthy. And that’s a good thing, isn’t it?
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For years I have wanted to make panzanella. Ever since I watched Michael Chiarello on FoodNetwork. Then I entertained the idea again when IHCC was cooking with Giada. So what’s holding me back? No idea! But I think maybe it’s time!
I’m printing this recipe and I’m going to make it over the weekend. I’ve never had a panzanella salad and this one looks too good to pass up. Anything with bacon is delicious!! Jackie
I certainly make panzanella my way too – this one is my kind of salad! Very pretty photos too Roz – nice job showing off this gorgeous and cool salad.
wow what a wonderful salad and I want to sit and eat next to the water!!
I would pay you a million bucks to come here right now and make this for me. Seriously.
Oh my does that look delicious! Are you coming over and cooking dinner tonight? Your pictures are beautiful as always
Panzanella is one of my favorite things to eat. This one looks great with wonderful flavors. Great addition to the menu!
Fresh Healthy delicous I love it !!
Oh yum! This is my kind of salad. I would love to be in the mountains right now.
Look wonderful Roz! gloria
That looks so good Roz. I’m in summer clothes today and with only 3 more weeks of winter left, I’ll be tucking into that sooner than I think.
Anne xx
I am starting vacation tomorrow and will definitely include this in on the menu
Helenxx
Hi Roz, I love your recipe. Your have taken my favorite summer sandwich, bacon and tomato, and turned it into an Italian salad. Now all I need is for my tomatoes to start ripening. Being lakeside is nice. Even is it’s warm in the day you usually need a quilt at night. Hope you have a wonderful time.
This salad is so perfect for this time of the year when trips to the farmers market are a weekly pleasure.Great job Roz!
Bacon looks so crispy and the whole salat would almost serve as a lunch for me;)
Just when I though you couldn’t make panzanella salad any better, you added bacon. You’ve turned the best sandwich in the world to a fabulous crunchy salad Roz. Great job. Enjoy the cool weather.
Sam
YUM! We love panzanella but don’t make it very often because the tomatoes around here are generally flavourless. Now that the fresh tomatoes from local farmers are hitting the market it just might be time to try this out.
Oh, this is the epitome of summer, Roz! I’m going to make a string of tomato recipes when we get home…this yummy salad is so inspirational~
It is not a very tradidional panzanella ~ but fabulous none the less!
Perfect for our beach picnic.
looks delicious, i love panzanella salad. especially in the summer
I love this, it looks amazing!
Wow, I would say that this is the perfect summer salad, Roz. I just happen to have all the ingredients so this will be on our table tonight. Great photos.
Bacon in panzanella salad? Genius! Alas, here in the midwest, we are still waiting for tomatoes. Our unusual weather has slowed them down and it may be September before they arrive in the farm markets. I am so anxious!!
Best,
Bonnie
Lately, I don’t cook. I throw fresh produce together and call it a day. However, I have some mighty fine bacon in the fridge and I know it’s itching to jump into that salad! scrumptious!
I must have stopped by before you posted this because I know i would have been in heaven with this salad. Love Love Love it! A combo of my favorite things
What an absolutely beautiful salad. The colors are gorgeous! blessings, Catherine
Beautiful! That is a mouthwatering salad. So fresh and appetizing looking.
Cheers,
Rosa
That salad looks like a nice change of pace from the average fare.
This is so pretty and colorful!
I had to come back and tell you that I made this wonderful recipe this past week. I finally got around to it and I could kick myself in the butt for waiting so long. Our entire family LOVED it! It will be on our menu regularly now…thank you
Panzanella…one of my favorites! It looks lovely…Just before the tomatoea are gone!