Week 6: Culinary Lingerie ("Heart of the Artichoke" by David Tanis)

The Geek likes to joke that he buys me cookbooks for the same reason most other men buy women lingerie - because he knows it will eventually benefit him. Recently he gave me the equivalent of fuzzy, warm flannel PJs, my favorite kind of comfort. It's called "Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys," by chef David Tanis.

This tome (300+ gorgeously illustrated pages) not only contains recipes, but stories of Tanis' travels around the world, his philosophies on food, and tales about the dishes themselves. While this description could apply to just about every cookbook being published by celebrity chefs today, this book is special because Tanis cooks the way I like to eat (fresh, simple, light) and his writing style is what I like to read (personal, insightful, fascinating). As I flipped through its pages for the first time, I "oohed" and "ahhed" at page after page of yummy deliciousness. But one recipe caught my eye and I knew immediately that this would be the first dish I tried: Layered Tomato and Bread Salad.

I love all things Italian. The men, the movies, and of course, the food. When I first encountered a recipe for Panzanella several years ago, I was eager to try it and was utterly disappointed at the resultant soggy, mushy mess. And yet I knew I must have done something wrong because I have never eaten anything that was genuinely Italian that wasn't absolute perfection and I kept seeing recipes for bread salad in cookbook after Italian cookbook. As soon as I saw that Tanis' recipe does not require you to soak the bread in water and then squeeze it out, I knew I was ready to try this salad again.

I am sooo glad I did! The result was flavorful, savory, and really just delightful. Tanis writes in the introduction to this recipe, "What I like about this salad is that Some of the bread stays crisp and some softens." Turns out, that's what I liked about this recipe too.

Busy Mom Modifications and Tips

• I used a whole tin of anchovies plus some of the oil they were packed in (since The Geek LOVES anchovies), which resulted in a somewhat salty dressing. As a result, I did not add any salt to the dressing or to the vegetables.
• You're supposed to let the salad sit for an hour after it is assembled. Of course I can never wait that long for anything so we ate it as soon as it was made. Still very yummy!
• I didn't have shallots so I grated some onion with my box grater instead.
• Nicoise olives are hard to find so I used Kalamatas instead.
• This is a very salty, tangy kind of salad. Pairing it with cantaloupe wrapped in prosciutto added some protein and balanced out the savoriness of the overall meal.

The Results
DELICIOUS! Can't wait to try more recipes from this book!

Ratings

• Difficulty: Easy
• Time to prepare: 30 minutes by the time you toast the bread, make the dressing, and chop up all vegetables

***

Layered Tomato and Bread Salad
From Heart of the Artichoke by David Tanis

12 slices day-old country bread, such as pain au levain
1/2 c olive oil, plus more for brushing
3 garlic cloves for swiping the bread
1 shallot
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
6 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup Nicoise olives, pitted and roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
6 ripe large tomatoes, roughly cubed
1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced
A generous handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
A generous handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Lettuce leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Paint the bread generously with olive oil on both sides and place it on a baking sheet. Bake until the slices are crisp and golden, about 10 minutes, turning them halfway through. (Or toast the oil-painted bread on a grill.) Let the bread cool, and swipe each slice with a garlic clove. Break each slice into 2 or 3 pieces. Set aside.

To make the vinaigrette, macerate the shallot in the vinegar for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic paste and add the 1/2 cup olive oil. Add the anchovies, capers, and olives and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Put the tomato cubes and cucumber slices in a medium bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables.

Assemble the salad on a deep platter or in a low, wide bowl. Layer half the bread slices on the platter or in the bowl and spoon over half of the tomato/cucumber mixture. Lay over the rest of the bread and top with the remaining tomatoes. Cover with a clean towel and let sit for about an hour at cool room temperature.

Just before serving, gently press down the salad with your hands to distribute the juices. Sprinkle generously with the basil and parsley. Spoon the salad onto plates lined with crisp lettuce leaves.