Grilled Panzanella Recipes

GRILLED PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Purée 3/4 cup basil leaves and 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil in a blender until smooth and only tiny flecks of basil remain. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Strain mixture into bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much oil as possible; discard solids in strainer. Add shallot, chile, lemon zest, and lemon juice to basil oil; whisk to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Return to room temperature and rewhisk before using.
• Slice tomatoes into assorted wedges, rounds, and cubes; add to bowl with dressing. Toss to coat; let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to high. Brush bread with remaining 1/3 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill bread until charred in spots, about 2 minutes per side. Rub grilled bread with cut sides of garlic clove. Tear bread into 1"-2" pieces.
• Add bread and remaining 3/4 cup basil leaves to bowl with tomato mixture; toss to coat. Season panzanella to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

GRILLED GREEK PANZANELLA SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare a grill or large grill pan for high heat. Whisk the lemon zest and juice, vinegar, honey, oregano and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the oil in a slow, steady stream until emulsified.
• Peel the cucumbers , leaving alternating strips of green peel. Trim the ends, halve the cucumbers lengthwise and slice them crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Add them to the bowl with the dressing. Add the chickpeas.
• Brush the pitas on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Thread 6 or 7 tomatoes on each skewer. (If using wooden skewers, leave just 1/2 inch sticking out on each end so you do not have to soak them.) Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons oil on the tomatoes and the onions, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
• Place the pitas, skewered tomatoes and onions on the grill. Grill the pitas, flipping and rotating frequently, until charred in spots on both sides and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Grill the onions, turning as needed, until charred and tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Grill the tomatoes, turning occasionally, until lightly charred in spots and starting to burst, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the pitas and vegetables to a large cutting board when done cooking.
• When cool enough to handle, cut the pitas into 1-inch pieces and roughly chop the onions into bite-size pieces. Add them to the bowl with the cucumbers, chickpeas and dressing. Add the tomatoes, feta, kalamata olives and dill. Gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper if needed. (Be careful with seasoning at this point, because the feta and olives are very salty.) Let the salad sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving, drizzled with olive oil.

GRILLED VEGETABLE PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Cut one 12-ounce loaf country bread into 1-inch-thick slices. Grill over medium heat until marked, 2 minutes per side; cut into cubes. Cut 1 each zucchini, yellow squash and red onion into 1/2-inch-thick slices; cut 1 red bell pepper into quarters. Brush the vegetables with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill until tender, about 5 minutes. Chop the vegetables and toss with the bread cubes, 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup torn basil, 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Top with shaved ricotta salata.

GRILLED SUMMER PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Prepare a grill or large grill pan for medium heat. Clean and oil the grill grates.
• Grill the corn, turning often to char all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly before cutting the kernels from the cobs. Transfer the kernels to a large bowl.
• Cut the bread into 1 1/2-inch-thick slices. Liberally drizzle both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Working in batches if needed, grill until charred and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into 1-inch cubes and put in the bowl with the corn.
• Cut the tomatoes. If using large heirlooms cut into 1/2-inch dice. If using grape or cherry heirlooms, halve the smaller ones and quarter the larger ones. Transfer to the bowl with the corn and bread, along with the cucumbers, basil, chives and vinegar. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and taste for seasoning, adding more vinegar if needed. Serve immediately.

GRILLED PANZANELLA SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium high. Make the dressing: Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl.
• Brush the grill with olive oil. Put the tomatoes in a large bowl; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill cut-side down until slightly charred, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet.
• Put the scallions, peppers and zucchini in the same bowl; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush the bread with olive oil. Grill the bread and vegetables until charred, about 2 minutes per side for the bread and scallions and 4 minutes per side for the peppers and zucchini. Transfer to the baking sheet and let cool slightly.
• Cut the scallions, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes and bread into bite-size pieces; transfer to the bowl. Add the herbs, salami, dressing and any juices from the baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and toss.