Pananella with Black Locust Flowers
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumber cubed
- ¾ cup fresh basil chopped
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 tablespoon capers (or pickled nasturtium seeds) roughly chopped
- ½ cup black locust flowers pulled from their stems
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
- ⅔ teaspoon Dijon or brown mustard
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to season
- ½ teaspoon pepper plus more to season
Notes
This Italian bread salad is the absolute best way we use bread that has gone a bit stale in my household. It is also one of our go-to meals throughout the warmer months, when we want to take advantage of, and showcase, the beautiful produce that starts showing up at farmers’ markets and local stores. I love to add whatever wild edible flowers are around at the moment of preparation, and each one gives the salad something a bit different. Black locust flowers give this dish a floral and slightly sweet vibe. If you’d like some fresh and cucumber-esque flavor, add borage flowers, or for a bit of spice, add nasturtium flowers.
For the Salad:
Half a loaf of stale bread, cubed (or cubed fresh bread that has been dried out in a 200-degree-Fahrenheit oven)
About 2 pounds of tomatoes (flavorful heirloom varieties like Brandywine preferable), cubed
For the Dressing:
Mix all the salad ingredients except for the black locust flowers together in a large bowl and toss to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients together, or shake together in a closed jar. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss together. Let the dressed salad sit for 20 minutes so the bread absorbs some dressing. Top with black locust flowers just before serving so the flowers stay fresh and fragrant.
Taste and season with salt and pepper before serving.
