Fragrant, simple and fresh, Panzanella is a poor dish of undoubt Tuscan delicacy.
Its origins are very ancient, in the fourteenth century the great poet Boccaccio mentions the panzanella by calling it “pan mollo” .
The birth of Panzanella probably should be sought in the Tuscan cuisine of peasant origin. It is a recovery dish created to not waste stale bread. In fact it derives from the need to wet old bread and season it with fresh vegetables.
In 1865 the Florentine statesman Bettino Ricasoli offered it to the King Vittorio Emanuele not only for its extraordinary delicacy, but also because the green of basil, the white of bread and the red of tomatoes were the colors of the newborn Kingdom of Italy.
INGREDIENTS
500 grams of naturally leavened Tuscan flour bread, baked in a wood oven and stale for at least 3 or 4 days
2 ripe tomatoes
1 red onion
1 cucumber
Basil
Salt
Pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Vinegar to taste
RECIPE
Cut the onion into small pieces and soak them in water, salt and vinegar.
Wet the bread with cold water, vinegar and salt.
Cut the vegetables, gently wash the basil and break it by hand.
Put the squeezed bread in a bowl, add the vegetables, sprinkle with basil and season with extra virgin olive oil.
Let it rest in the fridge and serve it on the table.