Smoked Black Bread Panzanella
This platter is a combination of warm, smoky, sweet, and bitter. The flavors and colors speak for themselves, and the addition of smoked ricotta is remarkable. We use a variety from Salvatore Brooklyn, which can be found at boutique grocers and cheese shops. If you cannot find smoked ricotta, opt for a great-quality cow’s-milk ricotta, or make your own. Saba, which is drizzled atop this salad, is our most favorite vinegar. In Italian, saba means “cooked grape juice,” and is a sweet unfermented syrup made from the “must” of Trebbiano grapes and adds a gorgeous caramelized grape flavor and deep hue to the plate. —Karen MordechaiReproduced with permission from Simple Fare: Spring and Summer by Karen Mordechai; ABRAMS Spring 2017 Slideshow: More Panzanella Recipes
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Recipe Summary
Ingredients
Directions
Notes
To make the variations, the original ingredients (beets, purple kale, radicchio and smoked ricotta) can be replaced by the alternative options below. The carrots and tomatoes can be roasted in the same method as the beets, but will take less time: 20 to 25 minutes total. Do not roast either the mizuna or arugula—simply add it raw to the dish in place of the crispy kale.
Variation 1
2 bunches carrots, roasted
1⁄2 head mizuna
1 cup (35 grams) watercress
1⁄2 cup (120 milliliters) plain yogurt, good-quality store-bought or homemade
Variation 2
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 cups (40 grams) arugula
1⁄2 cup (20 grams) fresh purple basil
8 ounces (225 grams) burrata