This week I am spending some time with my parents in Weirton, WV. I grew up in the same house my entire life. I went to school and church across the street. I practiced soccer at the top of the hill. Nonna's house was just a block away. Some neighbors have changed, but most are still the same. It was a cute place to grow up.
As I was out for a run through the neighborhood on Monday morning, I noticed a sign for the Farmer's Market at 3PM. It was right down the street from my house in the Goodwill parking lot. I completely forgot all about that being a weekly thing! So in the afternoon, I ventured back to check out the vendors and their goods.
If I was going to get one good thing from the market, it needed to be SWEET CORN! We have been searching all summer for good corn on the cob. In a typical Weirton summer, we can find our favorite lady Deb selling her sweet corn near the funeral home. She has the best corn, and everyone knows it! But we haven't seen her yet this year, so every ear of corn we buy elsewhere is a hit or miss.
Not only did I find some fresh corn at the 3PM Farmer's Market, but I also scored some cucumbers, green beans, and sweet peppers. So Monday night I served up quinoa stuffed peppers. My dad absolutely loved them, even though he cringed the first time I said the word "quinoa". And my sister told me they were the best stuffed peppers that she ever had. So by their recommendation, the recipe will be coming soon!
Tuesday night we dug into that sweet corn. OH MY GOODNESS! It was the best corn we have had all summer. I am glad I bought a whole dozen! My method for cooking corn is shucking it, breaking the ears in half, and putting them in a large pot. I fill the pot with about 2-3 inches of water. I bring the pot to a boil, remove from heat, and cover for 20 minutes. It is simple and mess free (except for the shucking part)!
So finally the recipe! This here is a scrumptious Summer Panzanella Salad! Panzanella is a Tuscan summer salad typically made of stale bread, vegetables, and onion tossed in olive oil and spices. I had never made Panzanella before. To be honest, I am not sure I have ever eaten this dish. But I certainly would make this one again! My recipe uses peaches, tomatoes, basil, red onion, and sweet corn. As you can see from the photos, it is so colorful and flavorful. Panzanella can be thrown together using a variety of peppers, onions, fruits, and herbs. The dressing is versatile and will complement other fruits and vegetables very well.
In the afternoon, I sent my dad to Federico's Market to get some ciabatta bread for the salad. I wanted something fresh! However, you can use any stale bread you have on hand to make this. I served up this salad with some fresh green beans and some grilled steaks. It was a delicious meal! See the recipe below! I hope you enjoy a good taste of summer! ☀️
Summer Panzanella Salad
Ingredients:
10 slices of ciabatta bread
3 ears of sweet corn, cooked and removed from cob
3 peaches, diced
10 oz. cherry tomatoes
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Directions:
In an oven heated to 425 degrees, bake the ciabatta bread slices laying flat on the pan. Bake for 8 minutes until crispy but not completely browned. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Chop into pieces like restaurant style croutons.
In a large mixing bowl, toss together corn, peaches, tomatoes, and red onion. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, ground pepper, pepper flakes, and garlic. Whisk until combined.
Toss salad mixture in dressing. Let marinate in fridge for ten minutes.
Add bread, basil, and mozzarella cheese. Toss until bread is coated in dressing.
Top with freshly ground pepper if desired.
I think this salad is best served fresh. I like some of the bread pieces to still have a bit of a crunch to them, especially when using good ciabatta bread! If taking this to a picnic or party, do steps 1-4 ahead of time. Finish steps 5 and 6 when you arrive!
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