- Greek Panzanella

¾ c good olive oil, divided
6 cups (1 inch) diced rustic bread (I used Cob’s White Pane Di Casa)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 English cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced ½ inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and large-diced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and large-diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
½ small red onion, thinly sliced in half rounds
¼ c good red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tsp dried oregano, crushed
½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ lb good feta (I used my new favorite, Macedonian (very creamy & smooth))diced
½ c Kalamata olives, pitted


Heat ¼ c of the olive oil in a large (12 inch) sauté pan until hot. Add the bread and sprinkle with salt and pepper; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently (note I drizzled more oil during the cooking process), for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Set aside.

Place the cucumber, bell peppers, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl and toss together.

For the vinaigrette, place the vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper in a small bowl and whisk together. Whisking constantly, slowly add the remaining ½ c of olive oil to make an emulsion.

Add the feta, olives, and bread to the vegetables in the bowl, add the vinaigrette, and toss lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to develop. Season to taste and serve at room temperature.

Notes:

1. This is my new favorite salad. At first glance it seems like Greek salad with some bread thrown in but the flavors are absolutely amazing.