Panzanella with Summer Stone Fruit

Growing up in southern California, surrounded by an abundance of year round produce, I didn’t learn the importance of eating seasonally until I started getting more passionate about cooking. While you can find a plethora of produce staples in any month, they won’t necessarily taste good. Over the years, we have normalized eating bland and watery tomatoes from late fall through spring, so it’s no surprise to hear that some people just don’t like them that much.

Now, I await the start of summer eagerly, holding off on my cravings until I know i can get the real deal: the umami-packed and obscenely plump tomatoes of my dreams. When the tomatoes are this good, you have the celebrate them, and this stone fruit panzanella is the perfect way to pay respect. Crusty bread soaks up a tangy vinaigrette made from the tomato juices, sherry vinegar, and shallots. Best of all, crisp nectarines or peaches add an extra juicy twist to this Italian classic.

What’s panzanella?

A traditional tuscan salad, panzanella features stale bread soaked in tomato vinaigrette and accompanied by fresh tomatoes and onions. For this recipe, fresh bread is perfectly adequate, as we crisp it up first in the oven.

Choosing Tomatoes

If I have’t made it abundantly clear yet, this is a recipe reserved for when tomatoes are at their peak in summer and early fall. Lots of tomatoes types and sizes can work, just opt for what you know will be the most flavorful. Combine cherry and full size tomatoes for textural contrast, or add in some yellow tomatoes for a splash of color. Farmers markets are your friend here! If it’s at the farmers market, that usually means it’s at it’s peak flavor-wise.

I’ve opted for these smaller tomatoes, as they have more concentrated flavor.

Salt your tomatoes first

Salting the tomatoes in advance will cause the tomatoes to release more of their liquid. Packed with umami, this juice adds depth and tang to the vinaigrette.

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