White Bean Panzanella

The longest day of the year was here just over a week ago, which means summer is now officially in full swing! To me summer is all about being outside enjoying the sunshine with friends and family. And can you even sit outside on a patio without some delicious food to nibble on? If you are me or my family, the answer is always no. It’s actually not a question really. Whether it be a nice charcuterie spread with a glass of rose or a vibrant fresh salsa with tortilla chips and margarita, food brings us together.

And I think food brings everyone together, from backyard barbecues to beachside picnics, there is rarely an invitation that doesn’t involve bringing food. Which leads to the often taxing dilemma of what to bring/make/buy. The mental struggle is real as I battle with my mixed cravings while also trying to figure out what everyone else would bring. Internal dialogue reads: Lisa seems the type to bring potato salad so that’s out, but maybe Jack feels coleslawy, oh and Karen will definitely bring guacamole. Amidst all this chatter you can see I battle with what to make to almost every event. Classics are classics, but making a basic potato salad when someone else brought a jazzy potato salad is pretty much my worst nightmare.

So here I am on Canada Day, a day of wondrous celebration. Where us Canadians revel in this beautiful country we live in and are grateful to have strong communities of friends and family to share it with. Normally July 1st is blindingly sunny and the fake maple leaf tattoo smears off way too easily with the pooling sweat. Unfortunately this year Vancouver missed the memo or sent it all easterly (how is it over 30C in Ontario!?) Despite the weekends call for rain and cooler weather, you will still see Vancouverites out in full force. No one is ever off the hook when it comes to Canada Day. Insert picture of Canadian in shorts in the snow next to a BBQ. So back to that annoying back and forth struggle of what..to..bring…

I am here to answer all you picnic, potluck, and patio woes. Panzanella is the Italian’s gift to our salad plight. Ever just want to eat carbs and tomatoes and pretend like you were eating salad? Well panzanella is for you! It is basically a deconstructed zhushed up version of bruschetta (also amazingly delicious). With the fresh tomatoes and cucumbers providing essential vitamins, to the protein in the beans, and the bread for fibre and love- this dish will be gone in seconds. It’s bright, flavourful, and can be made in a snap. The three necessities of any worthy picnic item. So get out of here Karen with your store bought guac and impress all with this! Enjoy and Happy Canada Day, eh 🙂