The tradition of cooking with leftovers, and a no-waste style, has always been the basic principle of our Italian gastronomic cultural heritage, paired with great respect for the raw ingredients of course.
Once it was out of necessity, today is the mindful approach to food resulting, yesterday as now, into an evergreen kind of cooking.
Recipe for the Mint Panzanella
The recipe, created by our food blogger (and zero-waste foodie) Maria Zinni for a gastronomic contest, is an integral part of the “creative/no-waste“ Italian ways, that can conceive a delicious meal with salvaged leftovers, and whatever is at hand.
[servings: 4 | total time: 45 minutes | difficulty: easy]
| Please note that the info and directions provided for the recipes are indicative: the end result may vary from person to person |
Ingredients
- 10 cherry tomatoes (red ripe)
- 4 black olives (pitted)
- 3 slices of stale bread
- 3 champignons mushrooms (in brine)
- 1/4 red onion
To taste
- olive oil
- salt
- dry oregano
- fresh mint leaves
Directions
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, then into four parts. Take a quarter of the tomato and cut it lengthwise discarding the seeds, then chop into cubes.
- Place everything in a salad bowl and add oil, salt and oregano. Toss together.
- Cut the stale bread into chunks and mix it with the tomato.
- Slice the mushrooms, olives, and onion into thin slices.
- Mix everything in the salad bowl and let it rest for at least half an hour.
- Finally add a few mint leaves for a fresh bite, and serve.
La Panzanella (De gustibus)
For the contest we paired the recipe with Roberto Ortenzi’s Sonnet “La Panzanella (De gustibus)” and Buon Appetibilis!
A me nun me parlà de besciamella,
manicaretti, robba inciafrujata;
certa grazzia de Dio più è smucinata
più lo stommico mio me s’aribella.
La cucina più è semplice più è bella,
tant’è più schietta quanto è più apprezzata,
per gusto mio ‘na cosa prelibbata
è ‘na fetta de pane a panzanella.
È ‘na vecchia ricetta senza boria:
acqua, pane, basilico, ojo, sale,
pommidoro e … fai gode le budella.
Ner paradiso de’ la papppatoria
ce pòi annà cor tartufo o cor caviale.
Io ce scarrozzo co’ la panzanella!
From the book “A magnà e… a grattà tutto sta a incomincià” – Roman cuisine in verse with recipes by Luigi Carnacina – Edited by the Centro Romanesco Trilussa
Non mi parlare di besciamella,/ manicaretti e roba pasticciata;/ certa grazia di Dio più è manipolata/ più il mio stomaco si ribella.
La cucina più è semplice più è bella,/ tant’è più genuina quanto è più apprezzata,/ per il mio gusto una cosa prelibata/ è una fetta di pane a panzanella.
È una vecchia ricetta senza presunzione:/ acqua, pane, basilico, olio, sale,/ pomodoro e… fai godere la pancia.
Nel paradiso delle abbuffate/ ci puoi andare col tartufo e col caviale./ Io ci scarrozzo con la panzanella!
Don’t talk to me of béchamel,/ eats and pasty stuff;/ by God’s grace some stuff the more it is manipulated/ the harder my stomach rebels.
Simpler the cuisine more beautiful it is,/ so much genuine it is, the more appreciated it is,/ to my taste a delicious thing/ is a slice of panzanella bread.
It is an old recipe without presumption:/ water, bread, basil, oil, salt,/ tomato and… make your belly happy.
In binge paradise/ you can go there with truffles and caviar./ I’ll scarf down with the panzanella!
Interesting Links
Check also my Panzanella Newyorkese (riposata) it’s a kind of love story with stale bread 😉, paired with tomatoes and cucumbers in a refreshing picnic salad.
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