Barefoot Bloggers: Panzanella

I was so excited to see that the first recipe for Barefoot Bloggers this month involved little more than chopping. I made it on a weekend after a really tiring week and the last thing I wanted to do was slave over a stove. I have been wanting to try a Panzanella for a while so thanks to Melissa of It's Melissa's Kitchen for choosing it for us! A Panzanella is a traditional Italian salad using old bread. Of course Mrs. Garten puts her French twist in her version, but I wanted to bring it back to it's Italian roots. It was so good and I ate the whole thing in one sitting!! Head on over to the Barefoot Bloggers blogroll to see how everyone else did.

Panzanella
(kinda sorta from Ina Garten)

1/2 par baked Ciabatta loaf (available at Trader Joes), cut into cubes
1 tbsp organic, extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 beefsteak tomato, chopped
1/2 hothouse cucumber, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
10 basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade
1 tbsp capers, drained
4 oz Ciliegine mozzarella, drained

For the vinaigrette:
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1/4 c organic, extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over low heat. Add bread and salt and cook until well browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all of the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, capers, mozzarella, and basil. Add bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Serve or allow the salad to sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend (if you can wait that long!)