A perfect summer dinner.
I used this recipe from May 2008 Cooking Light magazine for the beef, but came up with the panzanella on my own. Panzanella is a great summer dish and can be adapted to take advantage of whatever fresh, seasonal veggies that you happen to have on hand.
Here’s my version:
Zucchini-Black Bean Panzanella
8 cups (1-inch) day-old bread cubes
(from a crusty, country loaf, such as baguette, but NOT sourdough)
1 large garlic clove
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 medium sized zucchini, cut into “sticks”
(about 3/4 inches wide and 3 to 4 inches long)
1 large, ripe tomato
about 3/4 cup black beans, cooked
1 ripe avocado, chopped
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mash the garlic clove with a generous pinch of salt (using the side of a knife blade) until it becomes a fine paste. Whisk the garlic-salt mixture into the olive oil. Pour 2 Tbsp. of the garlic oil over the bread cubes and toss to coat them. Turn bread cubes out onto a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes, or until golden-toasty, tossing once or twice. Set aside to cool.
While the bread cubes are baking, toss the zucchini sticks with about 1 Tbsp of the garlic oil and another pinch of salt. Grill the zucchini on a low flame until they have some color on them, but are not totally soft (you may oven-roast the zucchini, instead, if you prefer). Remove the zucchini from the grill and cut each “stick” into 3 or 4 bite-sized pieces. Set aside to cool.
Gently toss avocado with lime juice. Set aside. Whisk the vinegar and basil into the remaining olive oil. Add fresh pepper to taste and more salt, if necessary. Toss the black beans and tomato into the vinaigrette and stir gently. Add zucchini and bread cubes and toss gently to coat them with the vinaigrette. Add the avocado-lime mixture and toss again, very gently. Serve immediately.
Panzanella must be eaten immediately, or the bread cubes will get soggy, but if you are preparing this in advance or know that it will not all get consumed in one meal, you can combine all the ingredients, except the bread cubes, and refrigerate, and then toss the bread cubes in at the last minute and toss. If transported this way, panzanella would be a great potluck dish. Mmmm….salty-sweet with the smoky grilled zucchini, juicy tomato, creamy avocado and tangy vinaigrette. One of my favorites.