Pine Nut Bread Salad

Credit: Courtesy Ben Sharp

Get a taste of Italy with this grilled bread salad with fresh herbs and toasted pine nuts

Roger Mooking, host of Everyday Exotic on Food Network Canada, puts his own spin on the classic Italian panzanella salad by adding zesty fresh herbs and pine nuts

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (375 ml) ciabatta bread, crusts removed, cut into ½-inch- (1 cm) thick slices
• 4 tbsp (60 ml) olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 pint (475 ml) cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup (125 ml) pine nuts, toasted
• ¼ cup (60 ml) julienned red onions
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) aged balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) hand-torn basil leaves
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) hand-torn parsley
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped chives (cut into 1-inch/2.5-cm pieces)

Instructions

1. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
2. Brush the bread slices sparingly with 3 tbsp (45 ml) of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill the bread on both sides until golden and crisp, remove from the heat, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes and place in a large bowl.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the thyme and rosemary sprigs to infuse the oil. Add the tomatoes to the pan, toss until the skins split and become slightly charred, then place in the bowl with the bread. Add the toasted pine nuts, red onions and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
4. Garnish with basil, parsley and chives, toss together gently and serve.

Excerpted from Everyday Exotic by Roger Mooking and Allan Magee. © 2011 Whitecap Books Ltd. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.