Panzanella is typically a summer dish made with perfectly ripe tomatoes. But here it's made with "black" lacinato kale, which grows right through the winter in all but the coldest climates. With walnuts for crunch, mandarins for sweet juiciness and a gorgeous portobello-mushroom steak for each person, it's a winter winner.

Serves 2

Ingredients


  • 1/2 loaf day-old country bread
  • 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 4 ounces lacinato kale
  • 1 shallot
  • 2 mandarin oranges
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 portobello mushrooms

    Directions

    Heat oven to 400°. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and put them in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, sprinkle with salt and toss. Transfer the bread cubes to a rimmed baking sheet and bake, shaking or turning the pan as necessary, until they're golden brown on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Put the garlic in a dry, medium-size skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, turning the cloves frequently, until they're dark brown in places, 5 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate to let cool. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel to remove any charred bits. Add the walnuts to the pan and toast, shaking often, until they're fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer the walnuts to a plate to let cool.

    Peel and chop the garlic and put it in the large bowl along with the balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Rinse and dry the kale; cut the leaves into 1-inch pieces and add them to the bowl. Trim and peel the shallot; thinly slice and add it to the bowl. Rinse and peel the oranges; separate the segments and add them to the bowl. Sprinkle the salad with salt and pepper and toss to coat with the dressing.

    Rinse, dry and halve the lemon. Rinse and trim the mushrooms; pat them dry. If you'd like a smooth texture, scrape out as much of the dark gills from inside the caps as you can with a spoon.

    Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and return to medium heat. Add the mushrooms, top-side down, and lemons, cut-side down, and cook, undisturbed, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt, turn them and sprinkle again with salt. Cook until the bottom sides of the mushrooms are browned and the cut sides of the lemons are quite dark, 3 to 7 minutes more. Chop the walnuts.

    Add the bread and walnuts to the salad and toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning and toss again. Serve the salad on individual plates with a portobello steak and a seared lemon on the side of each.
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