Which tomato should we choose for our cooking? Nowadays you can find different varieties of tomatoes in the markets: from Pachino to Ciliegino, from Piennolo to Piccadilly, from Cuore di bue to San Marzano and then there are yellow, purple and black varieties.
Panzanella is perhaps the emblem of summer and of the Mediterranean diet based on cereals, oil and vegetables. Each Mediterranean country has united these three families in a unique way and created dishes that have become their symbol.
We are Italian, and therefore each region or each country has its own version of bread and tomato: from Tuscany (even with the winter version of pappa al pomodoro), to Puglia with frisella. Each one is distinguished by the type of bread (and flour), tomato and oil.
Each dish corresponds to a different name but we certainly cannot imagine an appetizer in summer without a tomato bruschetta. However, the real name is not bruschetta but panzanella.
The history of panzanella seems to be very ancient and the first news appears in Tuscany at the Medici court. From the nobles to the people: for centuries panzanella was the best way to reuse hard bread which was soaked with vegetables from the garden so it could be eaten with joy. Not only the inevitable tomatoes but also other vegetables, and I must say that getting to the famous Greek salad, also a symbol of the Mediterranean diet, is a snap!
For those who want to stimulate their curiosity, I suggest going to visit the website of the Tomato Museum (https://pomodoro.museidelcibo.it/informazioni-e-contatti/audioguida/storia-del-pomodoro/#:~:text=Il %20wild%20tomato%2C%20o%20Solanum, in the%20southern%20regions%20of%20Mexico.) which is based in Parma.
The panzanella recipe
To prepare the panzanella we start by making a salad of mixed tomatoes: I used yellow datterini, cherry tomatoes, beef heart and black tomatoes. I added some very finely chopped Tropea spring onion to the tomatoes and seasoned everything with salt, extra virgin olive oil, a little raspberry vinegar and basil.
We leave everything covered in the fridge so that it flavors well and releases some liquid. We take some homemade bread, preferably dry, cut some slices which we moisten with the liquid released by the tomatoes, place them on top of the bread, add some basil and a drizzle of EVO oil. Ready to be enjoyed with a good glass of wine.
I put a very chilled pinot blanc in the glass.
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