Panzanella

Description

Panzanella is a salad made from pieces of stale, moistened bread, with the addition of tomatoes, onions, or basil, and a dressing of vinegar and olive oil. The salad is a specialty of Tuscany, where it is usually served in the summer, making use of the fresh summer vegetables that are in season. Panzanella can sometimes include other additional ingredients such as cucumbers, olives, and cheese. It is believed that panzanella was invented out of necessity, as a means to utilize unwanted ingredients, such as stale bread. The salad was first described in the 1500s, in a poem by a famous artist and poet named Bronzino. The name of the dish comes from two words: pane , meaning bread , and zanella , meaning soup bowl . However, some people tend to disagree and claim that it is derived from the word panzana , meaning food . Regardless of the origin of its name, panzanella remains a classic Tuscan summer treat filled with fresh, flavorful ingredients.