NOT BREAD ALONE

Not Bread Alone.

            Stale bread does not last long in our house at this time of the year.  With summer just gone, the fall garden still produces many of our favorite vegetables.  But by now finding different ways to prepare them can be a challenge. Particularly so, if some of the tomatoes look less than perfect for a salad plate of tomatoes, mozzarella, olives and basil.

            Cooks around the Mediterranean years ago found thrifty ways not only to use most of the produce, but also day old bread, which before the advent of plastic wraps was both stale and partially dried out a day or so after baking. They combined juicy vegetables with the bread cubes, gave it all a splash of olive oil and vinegar, and ‘voilà’ – the panzanella or Tuscan bread salad was born. By now there are as many variations as there are cooks, but here is my version of it.

                                    Tuscan bread salad

            Crusty or country style bread works best for this purpose, but stale focaccia is also excellent. If bread seems too fresh, lightly toast it before cutting it in ½ - ¾ inch cubes. In a large bowl combine: 4 cups bread cubes, 2 large tomatoes cut in wedges, ½ cup chopped red onion, ¾ cup cubed Kirby or English cucumber (baby zucchini also works well here), ¼ cup loosely packed Italian parsley and basil each cut in thin strips. In a small jar combine: 2 Tblsp. olive oil, 2 Tblsp. white or white balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, ½ tsp. salt and couple of dashes of pepper. Cap the jar tightly and shake vigorously to blend and drizzle over the bread and vegetable mix. Toss well to blend and refrigerate for at least an hour, tossing several times to distribute the juices that will come from the vegetables. Serve cold or at room temperature and a few curls of parmesan cheese on top will make it even more elegant.

            This makes an excellent luncheon dish, but we had some for dinner with thin slices of  leftover cold steak with a horseradish, chive and sour cream sauce for the meat.

            Savory bread pudding or gratin is another excellent way to combine stale bread with vegetables for a different side dish for beef, chicken or pork. For this purpose small zucchini, mushrooms and even Japanese eggplants with their thin skins make a tasty combination.

                                    Savory vegetable and bread gratin

            Slice 2 Japanese eggplants and 1 baby zucchini, each about 5 inches long in ½ inch slices. Toss in a bowl with 1 Tblsp. olive oil and ½ tsp. salt. Spread on a rimmed cookie sheet and broil turning once to lightly brown both sides, which will remove some of the moisture. Butter an 9x6x2 inch baking dish and spread 2-3 cups stale or toasted 1 inch bread cubes evenly across the bottom. Chop coarsely 3 oz. fresh mushrooms and sauté in 2 Tblsp. butter with a thinly sliced onion and 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Toss the eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms together and spread over the bread cubes. Cover with a layer of ¼ inch sliced tomatoes, sprinkle with salt, pepper, 1 tsp. thyme leaves and drizzle with 2 Tblsp. olive oil.  Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, sprinkle with ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese browns. Serve warm as a side dish or main dish of a vegetarian meal.

            Instead of tomatoes, later in the season one can cover the vegetables with a cup of half-and-half blended with 2 eggs, ½ tsp. salt, pepper to taste and ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The many variations on both bread salads and savory gratins are all guaranteed to be delicious.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)