Today’s post is sponsored by my friends over at DaVinci Wine through Kitchen PLAY. Thank you for supporting the brands who support this site! I am absolutely flush in tomatoes right now and I couldn’t be happier about it. There’s nothing like enjoying the bounty of harvest this time of year! My garden has had its ups and downs this year (nothing to do with my inability to remember to take care of it, I’m sure), but one thing I’ve got is beautiful tomatoes. After my trip to Italy earlier this year I knew I wanted to try my hand at growing my own tomatoes and basil so I could make a delicious end of summer panzanella salad. DaVinci Wine must have been reading my mind, because they reached out with impeccable timing to talk about partnering on a post. Did I have any recipes that would pair well with their Pinot Grigio? Yeah, hmmm, let me think about that. I was already thinking of salad recipes. I couldn’t have picked a better wine to pair with this panzanella salad! It was clean, crisp, and perfectly acidic without being too sweet. The grapes for DaVinci Pinot Grigio are grown in beautiful northeastern Italy where the cool evenings and warm days provide the perfect place to produce a crisp and elegant grape. DaVinci wines are produced by a cooperative of over 200 local winegrowers who reside in the historic town of Vinci (yep, as in Leonardo da Vinci). It’s truly a versatile wine and would be as delicious paired with a portabella mushroom burger as it would be with a classic pasta dish. Making this panzanella salad recipe is a total breeze. You start by tossing some bread cubes in browned butter before toasting them in the oven until crisp around the edges. Whip up a quick dressing in a large mixing bowl, then add the tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper along with the toasted bread. Give everything a good stir, then transfer it to a serving platter. I’ve rounded out the flavors by including some fragrant fresh basil, pungent pickled red onion, and creamy burrata cheese. If you can get your hands on a variety of heirloom tomatoes, I highly recommend using a variety of colors and textures. It makes for a beautiful presentation! In the interest of full disclosure, I ate this whole salad by myself over the course of an afternoon. While panzanella was created as a way to use up leftover bread, you don’t have to let a loaf of Italian bread sit out until it becomes stale bread or dry bread, you will simply toast it a bit in the oven. The salad itself doesn’t hold up very well as a leftover. Once the bread soaks up the dressing it needs to be enjoyed sooner rather than later to avoid soggy bread syndrome. If you want to make this ahead of time, simply toast the bread as directed, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container. Chop up the vegetables and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to go. When it’s serving time, just make the dressing, toss everything together, plate it, and serve!
