Panzanella

Is there a way to print the notes along with the recipes? Some are very helpful and it would be great to have them attached.

A very good dish to use up late summer garden bounty. But simplify the directions by chopping all the tomatoes first, tossing with all the salt to bring out their juices, and then add the other ingredients on top. Add the vinaigrette. Mix and let sit.

Oil-cured olives and baby arugula were nice additions to my try.

I know this is probably sacrilege, but I prefer to un-panzanellize and have warm crusty bread on the side. That having been said, LOVED this salad. Agree that the capers get lost, but I found adding oil-cured olives, sliced in half, gave the salad an extra kick.

You don't need all that olive oil either. 1TBSP with the bread cubes will suffice. 2 TBSP for the dressing is more than enough. Shaves off 6.5 grams fat and 60 calories per serving.

I first made Ina’s take on this salade, (cucs, tomato, Bell peppers, red onion, bread croutons) and have learned that variations on the theme (tuna, capers, mozzarella, garbanzo beans, olives, arugula), make a delicious, light dinner. I have eaten many versions in Italy. Whatever great ingredients are in season/to your taste should be your guide. It’s a composed salad, not rocket science. Lighten up Times readers and enjoy the late summer bounty and Melissa Clark’s brilliance.

Learned Panzanella in Florence in 1966. Okay cucumbers, okay with thyme, but capers? No way. Mozzarella maybe, but this was supposed to be peasant food, folks. It doesn't need to be so dressed up. Serve with prosciutto and melon.

Too many steps. I start by combining all the "dressing" ingredients from steps 2 &3. Then I pour the dressing over the remaining ingredients of bread, cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and basil. Let is rest for 30 minutes and within 5 minutes of serving it is gone. I serve it will grilled chicken and my teenage kids can't get enough.

The full amount of olive oil results in wonderfully toasted croutons that stand up better to the moisture of the dressing and vegetables - I wouldn't skimp on it. And the oil in the dressing balances the acidity of other ingredients and amplifies the flavor and mouthfeel.

Is there a reason for not just adding each ingredient to one big bowl as its chopped?

I love this recipe. My one suggestion is to presoak the sliced red onion in several changes of water to sweeten them. I think the sweetness adds balance.

I've made a version that included anchovvy paste, and a variety of bell peppers (red, yellow, and green) that packed a tremendous flavor wallop....

I'd rather put some more in. Olive oil is very healthy. You loose some of the italian taste by saving it.

If you chop the ripe tomatoes into too small a dice - I recommend nothing smaller than 1" - and you salt them way ahead of time, you will have tomato mush before long. Mix tomatoes, capers, cucumbers ahead of time (no more than two hours, in my opinion), refrigerate, and DON'T add salt until maybe 10 minutes before serving - at room temperature. The capers will have added enough salt beforehand.

A very good dish to use up late summer garden bounty. But simplify the directions by chopping all the tomatoes first, tossing with all the salt to bring out their juices, and then add the other ingredients on top. Add the vinaigrette. Mix and let sit.

Oil-cured olives and baby arugula were nice additions to my try.

This is very good in the height of summer. Used heirloom tomatoes from the farmer's market. I cut the garlic back to one clove and it was plenty. No need for oregano or thyme. The vinaigrette was very good. Added chunks of good quality tuna packed in olive oil for protein (a trattoria close to us served panzanella this way to great effect). De-lish!

Delicious. Add pine nuts (toasted or not) for yet
another texture.