Tuscan Bread Salad

I love the fresh peaches that are available at this time of year. I can’t get enough of them: simply plain ... on the grill ... or in a luscious peach pie. So I did a double-take when I came across this peach-inspired riff on the traditional Tuscan bread and tomatoes known as panzanella. (Click here to see the peach panzanella salad recipe.) 

“What originated as a way to use up leftover stale bread has been transformed into a tastebud wowing salad,” TV chef Tom Woodbury says of the dish he created.The salad combines the bread along with peaches, tomatoes, arugula and basil. It’s dressed with an oil and vinegar dressing. I’d use our fruity Arbequina - which works well in salad dressings - to prepare the dressing.  (Click here to see the peach panzanella salad recipe.)Chef Tom suggests toasting the bread in extra virgin olive oil – like our Everyday Fresh - before adding it to the salad. “Toasting the bread redistributes the moisture molecules, thus allowing your bread to stand up to the salad dressing without falling apart,” he notes.Bon appétit,California Olive Ranch Master Miller Bob Singletary