You may associate late-summer tomatoes with the dreamy Tuscan bread salad known as panzanella, but here’s a thought: You don’t need to wait until August. The sweet, juicy flesh of summer peaches makes a perfect substitute, says Mario Hernandez, culinary coordinator at Frog Hollow Farm. Hernandez likes to use Crimson Lady peaches because they have a firm texture and thin, almost-smooth skin. But any yellow peaches can be used in this recipe.
Frog Hollow Farm’s Peach Panzanella
Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the salad
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bulb spring garlic, cut in half, green stem removed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
½ loaf peasant bread, crust removed and hand torn into small pieces
2 organic yellow peaches, pitted, cut into bite-size pieces
2 organic tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-size pieces
Fresh basil, torn into bite-size pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Red wine vinegar to taste
Directions
In a 9-inch sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, butter, spring garlic and thyme, cooking over medium heat for a few minutes to allow the garlic and thyme to infuse their flavor into the fat. Remove the garlic and thyme, and add the hand-torn pieces of bread to the pan. Sauté until the bread is golden brown. Remove from pan and let cool.
In a large serving bowl, combine the peaches, tomatoes, mozzarella, fried bread and basil. Season with salt and pepper, dress with vinegar and olive oil and mix gently until it well incorporated. Serve at once.
— Courtesy of Mario Hernandez, Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood
