WEEK 10: YOUR BEST TOMATO RECIPE

BLT Panzanella

Photography by Sarah Shatz

    BY MEREDITH SHANLEY | SERVES 4

A&M: What struck us immediately about Meredith Shanley’s recipe was its clever origins—one night, her husband wanted a grilled steak for dinner and she wanted a BLT, so she grilled the steak and made the BLT into a salad. We’re also biased toward any recipe that calls for bacon. In a smart maneuver, Meredith not only uses cubed bacon in the salad, but she saves some of the drippings for the dressing, a bright lemony affair made creamy with Dijon mustard and a touch of mayo. The juices from the tomatoes meld with the dressing, helping to make a little go a long way, and peppery arugula keeps the salad from being too rich. Resist the temptation to use too much bread, or the salad won’t be balanced the way it should be.

    SALAD

    ½ loaf ciabatta bread, cubed

    3 ounces slab bacon, cut into ¼-inch cubes

    3 small to medium tomatoes, diced large

    3 large handfuls arugula, roughly chopped

    CREAMY LEMON DRESSING

    ½ lemon, juiced

    Zest of ¼ lemon

    1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

    3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

    2 teaspoons mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann’s

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the cubed bread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Toast in the oven until golden and completely dry, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. In a medium sauté pan, cook the bacon until slightly crisp and nicely browned. Remove to paper towels; reserve 1 teaspoon drippings.
4. To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice, zest, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper.
5. Whisk together the bacon drippings and olive oil, then add in a slow stream to the Dijon mixture, whisking as you pour.
6. Once the dressing is emulsified, whisk in the mayonnaise until it’s fully incorporated and slightly creamy.
7. Toss the tomatoes, bacon, bread, and salt and pepper with the dressing.
8. Just before serving, toss in the arugula. Check for seasoning and serve.

Photography by Sarah Shatz

    TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

    Keep the bread cubes smaller than 1 inch.

    ABOUT THE COOK

    Meredith Shanley is a private chef and caterer living in New York City. Here’s her blog: What’s for Lunch, Dot? (www.whatsforlunchdot.com).

        Her favorite recipe from a cookbook: “The Coconut Cake with Lime Curd from The Gourmet Cookbook is pretty much the perfect birthday cake.”

    WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID

    Leslie: “A superb salad: fun to prepare, well balanced, colorful, and exceptionally tasty! Yum!”