Panzanella Party

Right when my husband and I moved into our new place we made friends with the neighbors.  About two weeks later they had a Father's day party and invited us over to meet all their neighborhood friends.  It was a pot luck scenario, my very first of many to come.

My neighbor offered to give me a pizza to cook up not knowing my passion for food.  I laughed at her and told her how much I love to cook and that I will certainly not be bringing a frozen pizza to my first neighborhood party! :)

I searched through my CIA text book, The Professional Chef, Ninth Edition.  I really want to take this opportunity to impress.  So I chose the perfect thing for a summer Father's day gathering, Panzanella Salad.  Now, you ought to know I always change recipes.  I tweak it just a little bit to make it my own...

I roughly chopped two tomatoes, then I pealed and blanched about a quart of cherry tomatoes.  Next time I only want to used blanched cherry tomatoes.  I did this by cutting a little X on one end of the tomatoes, about eight at I time I dropped them in boiling water for 30 seconds. I took them out and dropped them in an ice bath and the skin basically peals off on its own.  I cut six celery heart sticks on the bias, medium diced a yellow and a red pepper, three cloves of garlic finely diced, and I pealed and de-seeded a cucumber (using a spoon). I medium diced two peaches as well, this was my own addition.  Next I added two table spoons of capers, and lemon basil, and added my home made red wine vinaigrette and of course you can't forget to S & P everything.

Just before the party I added a pint of stale bread, or you can toast up any bread you have laying around. Mix it all up and its ready to serve.  It was a huge hit, and I will be making it again and again!