Panzanella

By River Cafe

Ingredients

Fresh tomatoes
Black peppercorns
Black peppercorns

Best used as a condiment.
They can be lightly crushed and used to spice up a creamy sauce or to coat fillet steak or chicken breasts.
- Although it might seem odd, grinding black pepper over a bowl of strawberries enhances the flavour of the fruit.
- Pepper that is pre-ground is not fresh tasting and often has other ingredients mixed in.
- Choose the type of mill that suits you, and if you want coarser pepper you can loosen the screw on the top of the mill or crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar
Olive oil
Olive oil

Usually the darker green the oil, the richer the flavour.
- Extra virgin olive oil is good for drizzling on salads and should never be heated as this destroys the fine properties
- Lighter olive oil is good for adding to bread, or to flavour a salad or marinade for chicken, meat, fish or vegetables. Lighter olive oil can be gently heated and added to marinades and baking.
Red wine vinegar
1 day old bread, preferably Ciabatta, broken into pieces
Red and yellow peppers, cut into strips
Fresh red chilli, finely chopped
Salted capers
Salted anchovies

Canned Fish

Tuna flakes, sardines, mackerel, anchovies, all great emergency fish for salads, baked potatoes, pasta.

If you have any leftover it’s best not to store the fish in tins. Instead, tip into a plastic container and cover with a lid.
Black olives, stoned
Basil

Herbs

Ideal for seasoning pastas.

To keep cut parsley or coriander, put in a hole free polythene bag with a couple of tablespoons of cold water, give the bag a good shake and keep in the salad drawer of the fridge. Herbs should keep for a week like this.

leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Olive oil

Usually the darker green the oil, the richer the flavour.
- Extra virgin olive oil is good for drizzling on salads and should never be heated as this destroys the fine properties
- Lighter olive oil is good for adding to bread, or to flavour a salad or marinade for chicken, meat, fish or vegetables. Lighter olive oil can be gently heated and added to marinades and baking.

Instructions

Skin, halve and seed the tomatoes, retaining the juice and cut into petals.
Make a dressing by seasoning the tomato juice with black pepper, then add olive oil and red wine vinegar.
To assemble: soak the bread in the dressing for a few minutes and throw in red and yellow peppers, chopped chilli, tomato petals, capers, anchovies, olives, torn basil leaves and a good slug of extra virgin olive oil.

Leave out the anchovies to create a fantastic vegetarian dish.

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