Recipe - Panzanella Italian Bread Salad

1 lg Round loaf peasant bread,
cut into 1inch cubes,
about 4 cups
1 Shallot, finely chopped
1 Clove garlic, smashed to a
paste
2 teaspoon Grated lemon rind
One fourth cup Balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
One half cup Extra virgin olive oil
5 Ripe plum tomatoes, seeded
and chopped
1 Green bell pepper, seeded
and chopped
1 Yellow, orange or red bell
pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Cucumber, peeled, seeded and
chopped
1 md Bulb fennel, trimmed and
chopped with feathery
greens (fronds) reserved
One half cup Nicoise olives, pitted and
halved
12 Basil leaves, shredded

Spread the bread cubes out on a baking sheet and leave out, uncovered, to
dry for 24 hours. Alternatively, bake the cubes in a 300 degree F. oven for
10 to 20 minutes until dried out but not toasted.

In a large bowl whisk together the shallots, garlic, lemon rind and
balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil in a
stream, whisking constantly until well combined. Add the tomatoes, bell
peppers, fennel and olives, tossing to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt
and pepper. Thirty minutes before serving the salad add the reserved fennel
greens, basil and bread cubes, tossing to coat, and let the salad stand at
room temperature for 30 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings

Recipe by: Cooking Live Show #8891 Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #628 by
"Angele and Jon Freeman" jfreeman@netusa1.net on May 31, 1997