From our members:
While we still have tomatoes, this salad helps with my "summer is over" denial syndrome. Samin's recipes are expertly written, including subtle ways to compound flavor, like the tomato vinaigrette (which, btw, is a great way to use overripe tomatoes and savor their flavor). I add sweet peppers and mozzarella to mine, but chickpeas or white beans would also be lovely. For a quick shortcut to stale bread, leave cubes of fresh bread in the oven overnight with the light on for a little heat.
recipe from Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat
½ medium red onion, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
225g torn croutons, see recipe below
double batch of tomato vinaigrette, see recipe below
450g cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved
675g flavourful small tomatoes (about 8), cored and wedged into bite-sized pieces
4 persian/lebanese cucumbers, stripey peeled** and cut into 1cm slices
16 basil leaves
Flaky sea salt
**Remove the skin in alternate strips, leaving some behind and removing some.
In a small bowl, toss the sliced onion with the vinegar and let it sit for 20 minutes to macerate. Set aside.
Place half the croutons in a large salad bowl and toss with 125ml of vinaigrette. Place the cherry and wedged tomatoes on top of the croutons and season with salt to encourage them to release some of their juices. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
Continue assembling the salad: add the remaining croutons, cucumber, and macerated onions (but not their vinegar, yet). Tear in the basil leaves in a large pieces. Dress with another 125ml of vinaigrette and taste. Adjust seasoning as needed, adding salt, vinaigrette, and/or the macerating vinegar to taste. Toss, taste again, and serve.
Refrigerate leftovers, covered, for up to one night.
Torn Croutons
recipe from Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat
*you only need HALF this recipe for the above Summer Panzanella recipe.
450g loaf day-old country or sourdough bread
75ml extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 200C. For more tooth-friendly croutons, remove the crusts from the bread, then cut the loaf into 2.5cm-thick slices. Cut each slice into 2.5cm-wide strips. Working over a large bowl, tear each strip into 2.5cm-size pieces. Alternatively, you can just tear croutons directly off the loaf, as long as you get somewhat evenly sized pieces.
Toss the croutons with the olive oil to coat them evenly, then spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Use a second sheet as needed to prevent crowding, which will entrap steam and keep the croutons from browning.
Toast the croutons for about 18 to 22 minutes, checking them after 8 minutes. Rotate the pans, switch their oven positions, and use a metal spatular to turn and rotate the croutons so that they brown evenly. Once they begin to brown, check them every few minutes, continuing to turn and rotate. Some croutons might be done when others still need a few more minutes of baking, so remove them from the tray and let the rest finish cooking. Bake the croutons until they’re golden brown and crunchy on the outside, with just a tiny bit of chew on the inside.
Taste a crouton and adjust the seasoning with a light sprinkling of salt if needed.
When done, let the croutons cool in a single layer on the baking sheet. Use immediately or keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To refresh stale croutons, bake for 3 to 4 minutes at 200C.
Tomato Vinaigrette
recipe from Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat
*you need DOUBLE this recipe for the above Summer Panzanella recipe.
2 tablespoons diced shallots
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 large or two small very ripe tomatoes (about 225g)
4 basil leaves, torn into large pieces
55ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
Salt
In a small bowl or jar, let the shallot sit in the vinegars for about 15 minutes to macerate, to soften the harshness of the shallot.
Halve the tomato crosswise. Grate on the largest hole of a box grater and discard the skin. You should be left with 100g of grated tomato. Add it to the shallot. Add the basil leaves, olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt. Smash the garlic against the workshop with the palm of your hand and add to the dressing. Shake or stir to combine. Taste with a crouton or slice of tomato and adjust salt and acid as needed. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, and remove the garlic before using.
Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days.
