Crafting A Blissful Bungalow
~ Cultivating Creativity for Daily Living ~
TM
A Note Before You Start
This recipe originated in Tuscany as a way of using up day-old stale bread. I have put my twist on this salad and substituted grilled zucchini for cucumbers, and I grilled the bread (alongside the Zucchini) for added flavor. You could also incorporate your favorite fresh herbs. This would also be good with arugula to give it a nutty taste.
Ingredients
2 medium size zucchini about 8” - 9” long
4-6 ciabatta rolls
4 medium vine ripened tomatoes
14 mini bocconcini mozzarella balls cut in half
8 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil divided
1 Tbsp of red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic
8 fresh basil leaves
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Step 1: Cut each zucchini in half. Stand each piece up on a cutting board and slice down the middle to create 2 half moon shapes. Then cut each half moon into 4 spears, and place in a large mixing bowl. Once all the spears have been cut and added to the bowl, toss the zucchini with 2 Tbsp of olive oil and add ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper and mix until well coated.
Step 2: Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Next, place another 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a small bowl and add one minced garlic clove to the oil. Open the ciabatta rolls and brush each side with the garlic infused olive oil.
Step 3: Grill the zucchini on all sides until “al dente” (about 1 minute per side) and remove from the grill. Add the ciabatta rolls and grill for 20-30 seconds. NOTE: Bread burns very quickly on the grill so don’t take your eyes off it! Remove the rolls from the grill and lightly rub each piece with a garlic clove that has been cut in half. Let them cool to room temperature.
Step 4: While the bread and zucchini are cooling, cut the tomato into bite size pieces and add them to a serving bowl. Cut each bocconcini in half (or quarters if you prefer smaller pieces) and add to the tomatoes.
Step 5: When cool, cut the zucchini spears and bread into bite size pieces and add them to the serving bowl.
Step 6: Cut the basil leaves into slender ribbons and add to the bowl. Gently toss all the ingredients together and add the remaining olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.