Bruschetta Panzanella

Bruschetta Panzanella
(AKA Hobbies on Hobbies)

My husband has a lot of hobbies. So many hobbies, that his hobbies have hobbies. Take gardening. He is on the quest for the perfect vegetable garden. So he did all of the research and bought all of the materials he needed for the garden. This included a worm farm… enter secondary hobby. I know. Never in my life did I think I’d be cohabitating with worms, but then again never in my life did I think I’d (happily) be living in Iowa and here we (happily) are. At any rate – We got worms.

Jon’s rational behind the worm farm was so that he could achieve the most perfect soil for his garden. I told him I would never be a part of the worm farm – the feeding, the cleaning, the saving any food scraps. But surprise, surprise, 10 months later I’m dedicated to the project. I even have a little section in our refrigerator devoted to feeding the worms. It’s just a container with some food scraps, but now I feel odd when I throw away apple cores, carrot shavings, kale stems, etc.

When we go out with friends, Jon and I usually have a conversation before that goes something like this…
Me: No talking about the worms tonight. People already think we’re weird enough.
Jon: Okay, no talking about the worms.
Gets to party
Me: So have you heard about our worms???

I admire my husband’s hobbies – they’re so original and make mine feel so basic.
Mine: Pilates, food, running, organizing, decor. Ugh! I may as well write “North Face & Uggs!”
His: Gardening, orchids (?!?), bread baking, ice cubes (that’s for another post… see note above about being weird).

But onto the recipe. Thanks to the garden… and the worms, we have beautiful tomatoes. So many tomatoes we didn’t know what to do with all of them. Until I came across this Bon Appetite article that inspired me to make this salad.

This Panzanella is perfect for using up the end of your summer produce. I love it as a side, dinner itself, or if you’re feeling fancy, for brunch. In all honesty, panzanella is such a funny salad to me! It’s called a salad, but it’s just an excuse to eat a loaf of bread? And I’m okay with that!

Bruschetta Panzanella
(Serves 4)

3 cups of cherry tomatoes
1 head of garlic, peeled
¼ cup and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, separated
½-1 teaspoon of salt
½ a baguette or about 4 cups of bread ripped apart
5 ounces of arugula (one container)
Juice of half a lemon
4 leaves of basil, chiffonade
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
¼ cup of pine nuts
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the tomatoes and garlic on the baking sheet and toss them in ¼ cup of olive oil and ½ a teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper or to your liking. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and set aside until warm or room temperature.
3. Place the torn bread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until the pieces toast.
4. Make the salad: Toss the arugula in the lemon juice and remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in the toasted bread and place the tomatoes on top. Drizzle the balsamic on top and garnish with pine nuts, basil, and parmesan.

Question:
What are your hobbies?