PANZANELLA

Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 minutes.   Marinating time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

For the salad

• 4 cups mixed heirloom tomatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
• ½ cup pickled shallots, thinly sliced
• ½ cup torn ciabatta bread
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 x 100g balls burrata cheese

For the tomato powder

• 2 large ripe tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

METHOD

1. Make the tomato powder: preheat oven to 100°C. Slice tomatoes thinly and arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 2-3 hours, or until tomatoes are completely dried and brittle. Let cool, then break into pieces and grind into a fine powder using a food processor or blender.
2. Prepare the salad: in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, pickled shallots, ciabatta bread and basil. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Let marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
4. Assemble and serve: divide the salad among four plates. Carefully place a burrata on each pile of panzanella. Dust generously with tomato powder. Serve immediately.