Recipe: Panzanella

I love making panzanella for dinner on a hot night. This "bruschetta salad" requires no cooking and is deliciously hearty. It's also a great thing to take to a potluck or picnic. It's easy to make different variations based on what you have in the fridge or what veggies are currently in season. Here's my recipe:

Panzanella
Serves at least four very hungry people

1 small loaf of crusty artisan bread, cubed
5 roma tomatoes, diced
2 cups of mixed greens
1 cup of diced cheddar
1/2 cup of green olives, chopped
1/2 cup of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 cup diced basil
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1/4 cup of olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing
1/4 shaved Parmesan cheese
Onion salt to taste

Combine the tomatoes, garlic, olives, artichoke hearts and basil and combine in a bowl with the balsamic dressing to marinate about a half hour before serving. Cube the bread and prepare the cheddar cheese. When ready to serve, combine the marinated veggies and dressing with the bread, cheese and lettuce in a large bowl. Toss with onion salt until fully blended. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

You may need to adjust the balance of ingredients depending on how much bread you are using. The final mixture should look something like this.