Mediterranean Panzanella Salad

I first had a traditional panzanella salad with my dad at Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills back in high school and I immediately became obsessed. The first thought I had was that it was very similar to a fattoush salad that I grew up eating (I'm half Middle Eastern - who woulda thought?). Since moving to San Francisco, I kind of forgot about the panzanella / fattoush dish since I wasn't visiting my dad every weekend anymore (he makes the best fattoush). Then I went to a delicious place called Blue Barn and there on the menu was a fattoush salad and it all came back to me. That's when the twists and turns started rolling in my head and I thought combining the two would be brilliant. And it was. Enjoy this fast and easy dish!

Mediterranean Panzanella Salad

Time: 15 Minutes / Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Zest and Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 4 Persian Cucumbers
• 5 Roma Tomatoes
• 1/2 Red Onion
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Tsp Pepper
• 1 Tsp Dried Mint
• 1 Cup Pita Chips

Directions:

Finely mince the garlic.

Add to a mason jar and pour in olive oil.

Zest and juice the lemon into the mason jar.

Add lid and shake. Put in fridge until needed.

Dice the onion and add to a small bowl. Fill with cold water to get make the onion taste a little more subtle.

Half the cucumber length-wise and cut into 1/4 inch pieces. Add to a medium-sized bowl.

Cut the tomatoes in sixths. Add to bowl.

Drain the onions and add to bowl.

Add in salt, pepper and dried mint.

Add pita chips and pour in dressing. Mix well.

Plate and serve!