A late-summer Wine Country take on panzanella, built around ripe heirloom tomatoes, ciabatta, feta, fresh basil and that great, unfinished bottle of red wine.
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 10-12oz ciabatta, preferably a day old
- 2½ lbs ripe heirloom tomatoes, preferably a mix of colors and varieties
- 6 oz block feta in brine, drained and crumbled
- 1 medium shallot, very thinly sliced or chopped
- 1 generous cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed and roughly torn
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Vinaigrette
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar – homemade if you have it.
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2–3 Tbsp reserved heirloom tomato juice
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- Dash of Worcestershire sauce
- Dash of vinegar-based hot sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper
Prepare the Tomatoes
Cut the heirloom tomatoes into generous, irregular wedges and chunks. Place them in a colander set over a bowl and season lightly with kosher salt.
Let stand for 30 minutes. The salt will draw out some of the tomatoes’ intensely flavorful juices. Save the juice—you’ll use it in the vinaigrette.
Prepare the Ciabatta
Heat the oven to 425°F.
Cut or tear the ciabatta into roughly 1-inch pieces. Spread them on a sheet pan, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, add a pinch of kosher salt and toss lightly to coat.
Bake for about 7–12 minutes, tossing once, until the bread has dried out and is just beginning to turn pale golden around the edges.
Don’t take it to deeply browned, crunchy croutons. You want the bread to absorb the tomato juices and vinaigrette while still having some chew once everything comes together.
Let cool completely.
Make the Vinaigrette
Measure 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved tomato juice into a bowl or jar. Add the red wine vinegar, Dijon, Worcestershire, hot sauce and several grinds of black pepper.
Slowly whisk in the ⅓ cup olive oil until combined.
Assemble the Panzanella
In a large bowl, combine the ingredients.
Pour about ½ to 3/4 of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well.
Let it stand for about 30 minutes, then taste a piece of bread. Add more vinaigrette as needed. The ciabatta should be absorbing those tomato juices and dressing but shouldn’t become completely saturated.
Let the panzanella rest at room temperature for 1–2 hours, gently tossing once or twice. This resting time allows the bread to soak up the tomatoes and vinaigrette while retaining some texture and chew.
Homemade Red Wine Vinegar
This is that great, unfinished bottle of red you couldn’t quite bring yourself to throw away.
The acidity of your wine-turned-vinegar can vary considerably, so let taste be your guide. If it’s particularly sharp, add a little more tomato juice or olive oil. If it’s mild, add a splash more.
When wine is exposed to oxygen and acetic-acid bacteria, the alcohol can be converted into acetic acid—the same basic process used to make vinegar. If your leftover wine hasn’t reached that sharply acidic stage, use a good-quality red-wine vinegar instead.
For food preservation or pickling, always use vinegar with a known acidity. Here, we’re using the wine strictly for flavor.
Wine Pairing
Pair this with a Pinot Noir served slightly cool. Pinot’s bright acidity works beautifully with ripe tomatoes and the red-wine vinaigrette, while its lighter body won’t overwhelm the feta, basil and olive oil.
Put the bottle in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before serving. You’re not trying to chill the wine, just bringing its temperature down enough to keep the fruit bright and lively alongside the tomatoes.
A Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley or Carneros Pinot Noir would be particularly at home on this Wine Country table.
