Bread salad bids adieu to summer
“Tartine All Day: Modern Recipes for the Home Cook” by Elisabeth Prueitt (Lorena Jones Books, $40) is a book you will want to refer to for recipes that are refreshing, creative and doable. I can’t wait to go back and try dishes like aquachile with shrimp and scallops, avgolemono, and cider caramel pork ribs. I selected fattoush, a Middle Eastern version of Italian panzanella, for you to try while the tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are at their height of the season.
Fattoush is usually made with toasted pita and a melange of colorful vegetables, then finished with the tangy spice sumac. Here the author switches out the go-to Middle Eastern pita bread for country-style bread. You can also use a ciabatta or baguette. The bread is oven-toasted with a drizzle of olive oil to give it flavor and texture.
The vegetables should be cut the same size for ease in eating, and the sumac adds a unique tangy lemon flavor. In many cuisines you’ll find dishes that cleverly repurpose cooked staples like rice, tortillas and bread in delicious ways. Think fried rice, tortilla soup or chips, and bread salads or puddings.
This is an easy salad to put together for a light meal along with some roasted baby eggplant. You’ll find a substitution for using pita bread below, if you prefer. Don’t be afraid to add other veggies you like, including carrots, celery, avocado or artichoke hearts.