No doubt, you've seen one of Kasim Hardaway's snaps of delicious dishes around town on Instagram. Now, the food lover is turning into a food creator with the opening of his new healthy-eating concept, Cultivare: Grains and Greens. To capture the essence of summer, try a bite of his Panzanella salad with Champagne Viniagrette at home!
Champagne Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup champagne vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 shallot
- 2 teaspoons agave
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
Directions
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Add all ingredients to food processor or blender, excluding evoo.
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As the added ingredients are processed slowly, add in evoo.
(If you don’t have a food processor or blender, finely chop the shallot and whisk all other ingredients, excluding olive oil, by hand. Slowly add the olive oil and whisk vigorously.)
Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red tomatoes, cut into small wedges
- 5 cups of ciabatta*, cubed
- ½ cup mozzarella pearls
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup roasted red pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 tablespoon drained capers
- microgreens
- garlic powder
- extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
- black pepper
- salt
*ciabatta can be substituted with french bread or any hard crusty bread
Directions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, drizzle bread with ⅓ to ¼ cup of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss well, ensuring all pieces are well oiled and coated.
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Place bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 5 to 7 minutes. Allow to cool.
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While bread is cooling, place tomatoes, red onion, roasted red pepper, capers, and mozzarella pearls in a large bowl. Drizzle in the desired amount of champagne vinaigrette and toss. Add in bread, then toss again.
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Transfer to a serving dish, then garnish with microgreens* and finish with a teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper.
If you don’t have access to microgreens, fresh parsley or basil is a great substitution. Slice selected herb into ribbons then sprinkle over salad.