I am always looking for recipes that I feel really embody a season. For me it’s a combination of utilising seasonal ingredients when they are at their most delicious, and also a sense of time and place. There’s nothing better than a spiced pumpkin soup on a chilly winter night or a fresh strawberry pie in the springtime.
If I ever write a cookbook, I would love to organise it in seasonal chapters and share my favourite recipes, memories and milestones for each time of year. Summer hasn’t truly started for me until I’m eating a juicy mango over the kitchen sink. I look forward to fig season all year, when my Nanna usually gifts me a big plate of figs from her tree and I make a batch of homemade jam. The first glimpse of blueberries at the market after a long winter. These moments throughout the year are special to me.
Having access to a fantastic weekly farmers market has really shown me the beauty of seasonal produce. Including the imperfections you’d never see in a supermarket! I absolutely love the Saturday Bondi Market and I go as often as I can. If it’s not in season, you can’t buy it. Simple as that.
There’s no apples coming out of cold storage or grapes imported from halfway around the world. I always feel inspired to cook whenever I come home from the markets with a great haul of produce.
But back to today’s recipe! This salad just sings out SUMMER. A traditional Tomato Panzanella is Tuscan dish that uses leftover stale bread and fresh tomatoes. My version uses a combination of fresh cherry tomatoes, grilled peaches and corn, and herbs from my garden. Some of my favourite summer ingredients.
I also added a little feta because I thought the creamy, salty cheese would work well here. Since most of the ingredients are sweeter, the savoury note helped to balance the flavours. It’s definitely not a traditional Panaznella ingredient, but I loved the way it tied all together. The dressing is so simple – a little oil and red wine vinegar.
Grilling the sliced peaches and corn takes it to another level. You can make this recipe on the barbecue or on the stove with a char-grill pan. If it’s a hot day and you don’t want to turn on the oven, you could even crisp the bread in a frypan instead.
Either way, it comes together super easily to make a fantastic quick weeknight dinner for one. Or you could serve this as a side dish with some grilled chicken or salmon. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try before the summer is over!
Related Post: Roasted Vegetable Salad with Quinoa
Grilled Peach, Corn and Tomato Panzanella Salad
A delicious salad that just screams out SUMMER. This Grilled Peach, Corn and Tomato Panzanella is perfect on its own or as a side dish for grilled chicken or salmon.
Ingredients
- 2 cups crusty bread, roughly torn into pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 200 g cherry tomatoes, mixed colours if available
- 2 ripe peaches
- 1 corn cob, husk removed
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- Basil & mint leaves
- 2 tbsp feta, crumbled
- Olive oil and red wine vinegar, for dressing
- Salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Drizzle the bread with the olive oil and toss to coat. Toast in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until crispy.
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Roughly chop the cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters depending on their size and place into your salad bowl.
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Slice the peach into eighths and brush with a little bit of olive oil. Place slices onto a BBQ grill or char-grill pan and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side until char marks appear.
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Brush the corn cob with a little olive oil and grill for 10-15 minutes, turning frequently until slightly coloured on all sides. Carefully remove the corn from the cob with a knife.
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To assemble the salad, layer the toasted bread with grilled peaches, corn and tomatoes in a large salad bowl. Add the red onion, herbs and feta. Dress with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine. Serve immediately as a main meal or a side dish.