This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
09/06/2018 12:01 AMThis has been a terrific seasons for tomatoes, corn, and parties. I have made panzanella, or bread salad, for so many get-togethers, I have lost track. I buy a baguette (when I can’t get one from Charlie van Over), slice it, grill it on the Weber or in the oven, grate it with fresh garlic, drizzle it with oil, and use it for the panzanella. This year I have been doing the same with three baguettes, then wrap them in foil and toss them into the freezer. When I make the panzanella, I thaw the bread and cut them into cubes.
Last weekend I went to a 77th birthday for Paul Madonna in Griswold. I made the panzanella; one of our other friends made a similar salad, but with peppered bread and called the salad frisella. It was amazing, but she admitted it is difficult to find the bread outside New Haven, Hartford, or Providence. It is delicious, but only when the tomatoes are perfectly fresh and local.
I have made at least four trips to a farm close to where I live. I think I may have bought about 40 pounds of tomatoes and I eat at least two to three tomatoes a day. The cherry or grape tomatoes I eat by the pint, often in my car on the way home. I have them in omelets and sliced thick with lunch or dinner. And I can’t count the number of tomato sandwiches, with mayonnaise, on challah, as a quick supper before a meeting. I try hard not to squish tomato seeds on my shirt, but sometimes I miss and must go upstairs to change before I leave.
The tomato season is short. I will be buying plum tomatoes when the price drops. Then I roast and freeze them for the stews and sauces I will be making this coming winter. In the meantime, though, here is a really nice recipe you might enjoy before the gorgeous tomatoes are just a memory. And if you want a quick recipe for roasted tomatoes, email me at leeawhite@aol.com.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Scalloped Tomatoes
From Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That? By Ina Garten
Clarkson Potter/Publishing, New York, 2010
5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
2 cups diced (1-inch-size) bread from rustic bread,
crust removed
3 pounds plum tomatoes, 1-inch-dice (14-16 tomatoes)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup julienned fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium heat. Add bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until cubes are evenly browned.
Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add tomatoes mixture to the bread cubes and continue to cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil.
Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6- to 8-cup) baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until top is browned and tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm.