If for some odd reason you have any bread left over from last week’s recipe (or any other time, for that matter), there are loads of fun things you can do to “re-purpose” your delicious homemade gluten-free breads so that you don’t waste one precious slice!
Here’s a fun recipe – one of those “empty your pantry” kind of things where you can get inspired and just start embellishing! Panzanella is a traditional “bread salad” hailing from Tuscany, where the peasants used every last morsel by soaking it and adding in fresh local vegetables. In this incarnation, I used slices of my white bread and my beer bread … just to mix it up … farmers’ market tomatoes and red onion, fresh basil from my deck planters, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, white wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, fresh squeezed lime juice … hungry yet?! Leave no crumb behind!
Italian Panzanella Salad
Panzanella is a traditional “bread salad” hailing from Tuscany, where the peasants used every last morsel by soaking it and adding in fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
- 3 cups stale (or previously frozen) gluten-free bread
- 4 large diced tomatoes (preferably oven-roasted)
- 1/2 can chickpeas
- 1 small artichoke (or 1 can artichoke hearts), chopped
- 1/4 red onion, diced
- 1 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
- 2 1/2 Tbs. lime juice (approximately 1/2 lime)
- 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. black truffle oil (optional)
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Thickly slice previously frozen or stale gluten-free bread. Cut each slice in half and soak all slices in a large bowl of cold water for 30 – 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, dice the tomatoes and onion, chop the artichokes and basil, rinse the chickpeas and measure out other ingredients. Mix all together in a large bowl and set aside.
After bread has soaked, squeeze the water out and add it to the bowl with the dressed vegetables. Toss all together until it is the consistency you prefer (the more tossing/stirring, the less defined any chunk of bread will remain). Chill at least two hours, or ideally overnight, before serving.
