Panzanella Salad

A friend mentioned this salad years ago and it just sounded weird.  I think it slipped in and out of my mind without hesitation --my thought process was probably this: bread salad? meh.  How naive I was.

Recently I attended the High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA and it was HOT.  So hot that all we could do during most of the day was sit in the shade.  And drink cold beverages.  And wish we were swimming.  Luckily there was really good music.  We finally left and went to Chico... where it was even hotter (yes, this story does have a point).  In Chico we visited the Sierra Nevada Brewery and lounged in the air conditioning.  Panzanella salad was on their menu -- described with all the fresh vegetables and... coldness... it sounded amazing.  And it was.  I couldn't believe I'd never had it before.  Soon after returning home, where it was still hot, I had to make it again.  And share it with you.  Trust me: fabulous.

Pizza, everyday, everyway.

Bread baking was my first kitchen love.  I no longer make bread as often as I used to, but I have been making pizza dough frequently -- a close bread cousin.  I like to make enough for six 14-inch pizzas and freeze the dough.  Sometimes the dough doesn't make it into the freezer and we eat pizza all week, or sometimes all six pizzas get made in one night, with 12 people reaching for slices.  Preparing pizza toppings can be time consuming.  I like to make toppings that go well with lots of things: salads, omelets or frittata, in soup.  Or I save small bits of other recipes during the week prior to pizza making that will be good toppings.  Examples include roasted root veggies, cut-up peppers or squash, stir fries, cooked meats, part of a cucumber, pear, avocado, etc. Sometimes I have 10 little bowls of things in the fridge, but they all get used up during the week in various recipes.