Panzanella by Amy Zupanci of Fond and Township Grocer

By Robin Wheeler Mon., Jul. 26 2010 at 11:00 AM

This is the final installment of Robin Wheeler's Chef's Choice profile of Amy Zupanci, chef/owner of Fond and Township Grocer. Part one is available here, and part two, a Q&A, is posted here.

Robin Wheeler

Few dishes espouse the fresh, sustainable and local ethos of Amy Zupanci as well as panzanella. This simple salad consists of the best vegetables available right now and makes great use of stale bread that might otherwise go to waste. Zupanci gives her own twist with firm, buttery Castelvetrano olives.

Robin Wheeler

Panzanella

Croutons

Day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
Olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Toss everything together. Spread bread cubes on baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes.

Oregano Vinaigrette

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (Zupanci uses a blend of Turkish and Mexican oregano.)
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

In a bowl, toss a handful of each:
Red onion, thinly sliced
Castelvetrano olives, thinly sliced
Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Cucumbers, thinly sliced

Toss with dressing, fresh basil, salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Add croutons and toss again.

Pile salad on plate. Garnish with basil oil, if desired.