Make Your Mom a Grilled Panzanella Salad

Kim Hamill

I'm a proud daughter. Yesterday, my mom organized a charity golf tournament for nearly two-hundred people and it was a huge success. Almost a year ago she ran into a fellow member of her country club whom she heard was battling cancer. And though she had spoken maybe five sentences to the man in her life, she was inspired to thank the hospitals that saved his life. She could have walked right by him, she could have just given her good wishes - but instead she decided to give in a really big way. And, she did.

What this salad recipe has to do with the golf tournament, I'm not really sure. Except that whilst my mom was in the final hours of planning over the weekend, I made her a salad and it kind of sucked. She is so supportive that she still raved about it. So, I'd like a re-do to make this grilled Panzanella salad for my mom. It was so delicious, just like she deserves.

Grilled Panzanella
Adapted from Ina Garten

Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: 20 min Level: Easy Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • Good olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 2-3 tablespoons champagne or red wine vinegar (to taste, i like equal parts vinegar and oil)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick

  • 1 large ripe tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 5 large basil leaves

  • 3 tablespoons capers, drained

  • 1 red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces

  • 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces

  • 1/2 small baguette, cut into cubes

Directions:

Prepare the grill*. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Place the cucumber, tomato, basil and capers in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss together. Set aside.

Toss the bread, onions slices and the peppers with olive oil. When the grill is ready, place them on the grill and cook for 4 minutes (we like our onions charred, so we leave them on longer). Turn them over and continue cooking an additional 4 minutes. Toast the bread on the grill until golden. Remove the vegetables from the grill and place on a cutting board.

Cube the peppers, separate the onion rings and add them both to the cucumber mixture. Add them to the cucumber mixture. Pour the reserved vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss together. Serve warm.


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