It’s time for another Mighty Good Recipe!

I visit at least one Little Rock farmers market every weekend. I enjoy them all but especially favor the Hillcrest Farmers Market, a year-round gathering that gets going every Saturday morning at 7 a.m. (2200 Kavanaugh Blvd.). For me, what once was a simple act of purchasing a few random fruits and veggies has turned into an informal foodie meet-up of sorts. I can always count on running into a few friends, usually sitting on the steps alongside Mylo’s and opposite The Southern Gourmasian truck.

Chit-chat aside, I actually had a plan last Saturday morning.

I wanted to make panzanella, specifically, a Hillcrest Farmers Market Panzanella.

Not familiar with panzanella? It’s a bread-based salad, comprised of other various, fresh ingredients like cheese, herbs, oils, celery, and onions. Truthfully, as long as you have good bread…it’s really up to you what else goes into the bowl.

Here’s my Hillcrest Farmers Market Panzanella:

Ingredients (serves a ton)
-1 loaf rustic bread {cubed} (Mylos’s Coffee Co.)
-1 block cheddar cheese {diced} (Honeysuckle Lane Cheese)
-1 pint of grape tomatoes {sliced} (Cedar Rock Acres or North Pulaski Farms)
-½-pound cooked bratwurst {chopped} (Freckle Face Farm)
-4 cloves garlic {minced} (Little Rock Urban Farming)
-10 basil leaves {lightly chopped} (Little Rock Urban Farming)
-3 ears of cooked corn-on-cob {chopped} (Barnhill Orchards)
-½ cup olive oil
-¼ cup balsamic vinegar
-Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Just as a side note, panzanella was invented as a way to use up stale bread. Getting Mylo’s fresh bread to grow stale proved to be quite challenging. It took a full 24 hours of sitting in the open air to harden up. But please, make absolutely sure the bread is stale. I like to cube the pieces while still fresh and let sit out on the counter. Place bread in the bowl and pour in the oil and vinegar. Mix thoroughly. Add rest of prepared ingredients. Mix thoroughly once again. Let sit and toss several more times over the course of a few hours. Keep in the refrigerator overnight. Take out and serve.

Remember…have fun with this recipe. If you want to add in a different ingredient of your choice, then go right ahead. If it needs more oil and/or vinegar…feel free to add to your liking.

Finally, I encourage you to get out there and visit any of your local farmers market. Cooking with local (and usually organic) ingredients is often a rewarding experience.