Asparagus Panzanella Food

ASPARAGUS PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Snap off and discard the tough ends of asparagus. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil; prepare an ice bath. Cook asparagus until bright green and just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer immediately to ice bath. Drain; place on a clean kitchen towel.
• In a large bowl, combine asparagus, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, capers, and bread; toss to combine.
• In a small bowl, whisk together red-wine vinegar and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Pour vinaigrette over asparagus mixture, and toss until well coated. Let sit until bread absorbs juices, and serve.

ASPARAGUS AND TOMATO PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Toss bread, 1/4 cup olive oil, and garlic in a bowl until coated. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer mixture to a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until toasted, about 15 minutes, stirring and flipping bread cubes about halfway through. Allow bread to cool.
• Fill a large bowl with iced water; set aside. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; cook asparagus in boiling water until bright green and just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer asparagus to iced water to cool. Drain and dry on a clean towel. Cut asparagus into thirds.
• Mix asparagus, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, red onion, olives, capers, mozzarella balls, and bread cubes in a large bowl. Whisk red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Pour vinegar dressing over bread mixture; toss to combine. Allow bread salad to rest for 20 minutes before serving.

SPRING PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Holding an asparagus spear in both hands, bend the spear until it breaks naturally at the point where the spear becomes tough. Discard the tough end. Repeat with the remaining asparagus. Cut off the tender tips and reserve.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus tips and cook briefly, just until they lose their raw taste. Lift them out with a sieve or skimmer and let cool. Add the remaining portion of the asparagus spears and cook until tender enough to puree, then drain well.
• Put the asparagus spears basil, 6 tablespoons of the olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.
• In a large bowl, combine the croutons, asparagus tips, peas, and green or spring onion. Add some of the asparagus puree and toss to coat well. Add more puree as needed to coat lightly and evenly. Add 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then make an even layer of the mixture on a platter.
• In another bowl, combine the radicchio and spinach or arugula. Dress with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well, then mound on top of the dressed croutons. With a cheese plane or vegetable peeler, shave some ricotta salata over the top. Serve immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat and cook until it foams. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the butter. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with the cheese and toss again while warm to melt the cheese.
• Bake, stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container.
• Michael's Notes: I use a serrated knife to remove the crust from day-old bread, and then switch to a chef's knife to cut the cubes because it doesn't tear the bread. Also note that I recommend grating the Parmesan finely so that it will stick to the bread better.
• Yield: 4 to 4 1/2 cups
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat and cook until it foams. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the butter. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with the cheese and toss again while warm to melt the cheese.
• Bake, stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 10 to12 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight
• container.

ASPARAGUS AND MOZZARELLA SALAD

Steps:

• Simmer the asparagus until just cooked through. Rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain, pat dry and cut the spears, on the diagonal, into 1inch long pieces; set aside.
• Make a dressing of olive oil, vinegar, mustard and garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper. Combine the asparagus and mozzarella and lightly dress with half of the dressing.
• Alternate rounds of tomato and salami on the outside of each dinner plate; center asparagus and mozzarella mixture in the middle; drizzle remaining dressing over the tomatoes and salami. Garnish asparagus and mozzarella with roasted peppers.

ASPARAGUS AND TOMATO PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Toss bread, 1/4 cup olive oil, and garlic in a bowl until coated. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer mixture to a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until toasted, about 15 minutes, stirring and flipping bread cubes about halfway through. Allow bread to cool.
• Fill a large bowl with iced water; set aside. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; cook asparagus in boiling water until bright green and just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer asparagus to iced water to cool. Drain and dry on a clean towel. Cut asparagus into thirds.
• Mix asparagus, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, red onion, olives, capers, mozzarella balls, and bread cubes in a large bowl. Whisk red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Pour vinegar dressing over bread mixture; toss to combine. Allow bread salad to rest for 20 minutes before serving.