Weathercasters say 2010 has been the hottest summer on record, and I believe it. It also marks another milestone for me: I started bicycling. Combine those two events and it means that I’ve done a great deal of sweating these last few weeks. Heading out on a 30-mile ride when the temperatures are near 100 requires extra effort to stay hydrated.
A couple of hours after a long ride my body is really hungry but I’m not interested in a heavy meal. There’s something about being out in the heat that alters what our body wants. Most people prefer to eat lighter in the summer months and with our air conditioners struggling to keep our homes cool, heating up the oven for very long is something we discouraged.
Salads are always a great warm-weather choice and one of my favorites is an Italian salad known as Panzanella. It gets its name from the Roman word panza, which means “belly.” According to theory, it was served in the homes of Italian peasants as a first course before the more costly main course was served.
Part of what makes this salad unique is that one of the main ingredients is bread. The bread is not only filling, it also soaks up all the goodness of the other ingredients. Like most summer salads, it calls for lots of fresh vegetables, many of which may be growing in your backyard or available at the local farmers’ market.
Even if you are not taking 30-mile bike rides, chances are you are also enjoying some lighter fair this summer. If you are looking for something different consider this Panzanella. It won’t be long before there’s a chill in the air and we’ll be craving those slow-cooked meals of wintertime. For now, I’m going to enjoy a few more weeks of riding my bicycle in the summer sun and eating some great salads.
Panzanella
3 ounces bread with crusts left on
2 large red, ripe tomatoes (about 1-1/4 pounds)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 stalks of celery
¾ cup, diced red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
½ cup red bell pepper, diced
½ cup yellow bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons drained capers
12 basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces
12 flat anchovy fillets
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons white vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1. Cut or break the bread into 2-inch cubes. There should be about two loosely-packed cups. Put the cubes in a medium-sized bowl and add enough cold water to cover. Let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Cut the tomatoes into ¾ inch cubes, discarding the cores. There should be about three cups of tomatoes. Add these to a salad bowl along with the garlic.
3. Cut the celery stalks crosswise into thin ½-inch cubes. There should be about one cup. Add this to the salad bowl.
4. Add the cucumber, onion, peppers (red and yellow), basil leaves, and mozzarella.
5. Cut the anchovy fillets crosswise into thirds and add them.
6. Drain the bread and squeeze it gently between your hands to get rid of much of the moisture, but do not make the bread mushy. Break the soaked bread into smaller pieces. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add vinegar and oil and toss well.
Scott Hutcheson writes for CNHI News Service, which distributes his column.
Columns
Related Photos
-
Scott Hutcheson
Discussion
Scott Hutcheson: Enjoy fruits of summer before they're gone
- Columns
-
-
Primus Mootry: Memorial Day should make us remember as well as connect
Memorial Day is past, but we should not forget to remember. And unless we more fully grasp our connection to the people of the world, we are lost.
-
Jim Bailey: Build a better sneaker and you'll probably get sued
People who are gullible enough to fall for colorful and appealing advertising campaigns have an out: Sue the illegitimati.
-
Maureen Hayden: Readers weigh in on low voter turnout
A couple of columns ago, I posed a question about why most Indiana polling places on primary election day had so few customers.
-
Jim Bailey: Jim Carter made football a respectable sport at AHS
When I first came to Anderson in 1951, Jim Carter had been named head football coach at Anderson High School. At that time, football at AHS was little more than an activity to get out of the way to make room for basketball season. The Indians were known to play two games in the same week to shorten the season.
-
Scott Underwood: Help us with book about local athletes
Over the years, Madison County has been blessed with more than its share of extraordinary athletes. Through their feats on the field of play, they’ve brought us excitement and inspiration.
-
Howard Hewitt: 'Pink' wines growing in popularity
Those silly looking pink wines in your favorite wine shop or liquor store are gaining respect through robust sales.
-
Nancy Vaughan: Tomorrow starts today
The United Way of Madison County's 2011 annual report seeks to recognize the individuals and organizations that contribute their resources to support investments and activities to increase the education, income and health of all who call Madison County home.
-
'Big Joe' Clark: Problem isn’t the cost of education, but its quality
We must spend less time focusing on how to bring the price of an education down and more time figuring out how to bring up the quality of that education.
-
Maleah Stringer: Not everyone is an animal lover
Not everyone is an animal lover and they should not have to be around animals if they do not want to be. It’s on the same line as the fight between smokers and non-smokers.
-
Verna Davis: Church and state — separation or silence?
It’s time we realize, as Charles J. Chaput says, that “exiling religion from civic debates separates government from morality...That road leads to politics without character.” It’s time we realize that it’s time to speak up. The future of our country depends on our doing just that.
- More Columns Headlines
-
Sister Says She Reported Brother in Patz Killing
Patz Suspect's Sister: I Went to Police in 1980s
Diplomatic Expulsions Follow Fresh Syria Report
15 Dead in Northern Italy's 5.8-magnitude Quake
Angry Birds Spreading Their Wings
Witness Describes Fla. Face-chewing Attack
Man Falls Off Crane, Dies After Police Standoff
Russia Condemns Ally Syria Over Massacre of 108
Dairy Farm Uses Chiropractor to Help Cows
Unexpected Smog in Pristine National Parks
Air Canada Plane Makes Emergency Landing
New Ticks Spread Across Southeast, Diseases Rise
Bring Your Own Tech Programs Charge Up Students
Pope's Butler Vows to Help Vatican Investigation
Mother of Allegedly Abused Girl Denies Claims
Raw Video: 19 Dead in Qatar Shopping Mall Fire
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
