Watermelon Panzanella Salad Food

WATERMELON PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Salad: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Tear the ciabatta into crouton-sized pieces, drizzle with olive oil, place in a roasting pan, and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Toss the onion, watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber, capers, cheese, olives and basil together in a large bowl.
• Add the ciabatta and mix together well. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the mixture to a serving platter.
• Dressing: Whisk the vinegar, oil, garlic and sugar together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour over salad and let stand 1 hour to allow the ingredients to marinate before serving.

COUNTRY PANZANELLA WITH WATERMELON DRESSING

Steps:

• Make the dressing: Using a coarse grater set over a medium bowl, grate the watermelon flesh then rind, grating the rind all the way to the skin. (You should have about 1 cup grated watermelon.) Discard the firm skin. Add the sugar and 1 teaspoon salt; stir to dissolve the sugar and salt grains. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic, mustard, thyme leaves, red-pepper flakes, ground black pepper, vinegar and oil. Whisk together (or transfer to a mason jar, cover and shake vigorously). The dressing makes 2 cups, and will keep, refrigerated, up to 1 week; shake before use.
• Make the salad: Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a small sheet pan, toss the cubed bread, olive oil, thyme and sea salt together. Spread in a single layer and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until toasted and golden brown.
• In a large serving bowl, combine the watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber and red onion. Drain any excess liquid before adding the toasted bread cubes and half the basil. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Divide among individual bowls, if you like. Top with crumbled feta, remaining basil leaves and spoon additional dressing over the top.