Blueberry Cornbread Panzanella Food

SOUTHERN PANZANELLA

Steps:

• For the cornbread croutons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Gently arrange the Skillet Cornbread cubes on the buttered baking sheet and drizzle with the remaining melted butter. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Do not toss the cornbread or it will crumble. Bake, gently turning the cubes with tongs halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow the cornbread croutons to cool completely.
• For the dressing: Add the olive oil, vinegar, pepper, honey, salt and garlic to a mason jar and shake.
• For the salad: In a large bowl, combine the collards, black-eyed peas, red peppers, tomatoes, toasted cornbread croutons and dressing and toss gently. Add the mozzarella pearls to the bowl (setting aside a handful for garnishing) and toss them in with the rest of the salad.
• Arrange the salad on a platter. Using tongs, bring some of the croutons to the top of the salad to garnish. Arrange the remaining mozzarella pearls around the salad and garnish with the basil leaves.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl until combined.
• Stir together the buttermilk, whole milk and egg in a bowl or measuring cup with a fork. Add the baking soda and stir again, making sure it is evenly dissolved. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until combined. Slowly add 1/4 cup of the melted shortening to the batter, stirring until just combined.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons shortening over medium heat in a cast-iron skillet. Pour the batter into the hot skillet--it should sizzle. Spread with a spatula to even out the surface. Cook on stovetop for 1 minute. Transfer to the oven and bake until the top is golden brown and the edges are crispy, 20 to 25 minutes.

CORNBREAD PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool, reserving the drippings in the skillet, then chop.
• Add half of the Cornbread cubes to the hot bacon drippings in the skillet and brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the skillet and let cool. Add vegetable oil to the skillet if it becomes dry, then brown the remaining cornbread cubes. Let cool.
• Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, basil, capers, cucumber and onion. Toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, or serve right away.
• Just before serving, add the cornbread cubes and bacon and toss. Garnish with additional basil, if desired.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch baking pan with vegetable shortening or cooking spray.
• Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, butter, vegetable oil and egg in a separate bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened. (The batter will be lumpy and thick.)
• Bake the cornbread until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

PANZANELLA

Steps:

• For the croutons: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and arrange on a baking sheet. Drizzle the cubes with the olive oil and toss to coat. Put the pan in the oven to slightly crisp ("stale") the bread without toasting it, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
• For the dressing: In a small jar, shake together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
• For the salad: In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and bread cubes. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients, tossing gently. Add the sliced basil and Parmesan shavings and toss again. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper and serve garnished with whole basil leaves.

CORNBREAD PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Arrange the Sour Cream Cornbread cubes on a baking pan in a single layer and bake until fairly dried out, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss together the tomatoes, celery, scallions, oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Add the cornbread and basil and toss again to coat. Serve immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal mix, creamed corn, sour cream, oil and eggs. Pour the mixture into the skillet and bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
• Adapted from "Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood" by Trisha Yearwood © Clarkson Potter 2010. Provided courtesy of Trisha Yearwood. All rights reserved.