What says spring more than a fresh, crunchy panzanella?
This italian favorite always includes brea and tomatoes, plus garden vegetables of the season. These can vary, but typically include peppers, cucumbers, onions, artichokes, garlic, capers, black olives, and even anchovies.
I love the story behind this popular salad. You know the Italians, never allowing food to go to waste. This salad celebrates the always present kitchen staple, stale bread. Back in the 1500s the poet Bronzino, waxes poetic about the salad, making it a true Renaissance classic for the table.
This soup/salad duo was another tasty Blue Plate Catering dish, and just so happens to be the one my darling bride and groom chose for their spring wedding menu. The salad, with just the right balance of crunch and chew, combines queso panella cheese, cucumber, tomato and red wine vinaigrette with warm chunks of ciabatta bread (did you know there are over 250 types of italian breads?).
But it was really the soup on this plate that stood out – with a zing of garlic. The chilled Cucumber and Mint Soup with yogurt and garlic was the perfect spicy sip. Served in a small coffee cup, it presents in chic style, yet uses simple plates/cups that you can recreate at home using your own tabletop collections.
Happy Spring.
DL
