Bread Alone

Sampling the crostini misti at Trattoria del Montagliari, near Greve in Chianti, I wasn’t surprised to discover that the pa^te topping my toast was spleen; the guidebook had prepared me for that. No, what surprised me was the other spread, a savory, burgundy-colored one. The waitress said it was grated dried bread mixed with some of the Montagliari estate’s aged balsamic vinegar.

At another Tuscan restaurant, I was glad I couldn’t resist ordering the panzanella, a salad made primarily of stale bread “resuscitated” with water. Never again would I be so quick to declare leftover loaves morto, not after I’d discovered such delicious techniques for revivification.

The Italians, I soon learned, never throw bread away, using it for everything from a grated cheese substitute (an old wartime trick) to hearty soups, salads and desserts.

This menu is offered as an illustration of just a few of the molti ways to turn a potentially crumby situation into a tasty repast. If you’re not as bread-obsessed as I am, add a simple roasted chicken cooked Tuscan-style with plenty of garlic, rosemary and lemon.

MENU

Bread-and-Tomato Salad

Bread-and-Tomato Soup

Lombardy Bread Pudding

Staples

Balsamic vinegar

Butter

Eggs

Garlic

Ground Cinnamon

1 Lemon

Milk

Olive oil

Pepper

Salt

Sugar

Shopping List

1 (1/2-pound) loaf coarse-textured country bread, 1 week old

2 (1-pound) loaves Tuscan-style bread, slightly stale

2 bunches fresh basil

1 cucumber

4 ounces dried or crystallized fruit

3 leeks

1 red onion

3 large tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes or 1 (1-pound 12-ounce) can diced tomatoes

Game Plan:

Week before: Start collecting Italian-style bread. La Brea Bakery’s country white loaf is excellent. Trader Joe’s carries a good version of the same. Check your local bakery or, if you’re truly obsessed, bake your own.

Day before: Make soup.

2 1/2 hours before: Soak bread for pudding.

1 1/2 hours before: Assemble and bake bread pudding. Make salad.

30 minutes before: Reheat soup.

BREAD-AND-TOMATO SALAD (Panzanella)

This Tuscan bread-and-tomato salad is mushier than the familiar green salad tossed with cubed croutons. It can be made from bread that has hit the hard-as-a-doorstop stage. The recipe is adapted from “Italy the Beautiful Cookbook” by Lorenza de Medici (Collins, 1989). A variation might include olives and a few ounces of canned tuna.

1/2 pound firm, coarse-textured week-old bread

3 large tomatoes, peeled and cubed

1 small red onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cucumber, chopped

Salt

2 to 3 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Soak bread in water few minutes, then squeeze dry and crumble into bowl. Mix tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil and cucumber with bread.

In separate bowl, whisk pinch of salt in vinegar until dissolved. Whisk in olive oil. Toss with bread and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

234 calories; 248 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.74 gram fiber.

BREAD-AND-TOMATO SOUP (Pappa al Pomodoro)

Most pappa al pomodoro recipes include a quart or two of stock, but this one, adapted from “Lazy Days Out in Tuscany” by Ros Belford, Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls (Globe Pequot, 1996), is closer to a true pap or mush than a soup. It relies on the juice of the tomatoes for its liquid. With drier winter tomatoes, however, it may be necessary to add chicken broth or water.

3 leeks or 2 onions, finely chopped

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving

1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 (1-pound 12-ounce) can diced tomatoes

3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 bunch basil, chopped, plus few leaves for garnish

1 (1-pound) loaf crusty bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 to 3 cups chicken broth, optional

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Saute leeks in 2 tablespoons oil until soft. Add tomatoes and continue to saute gently.

In second pan, saute garlic, basil and bread cubes in remaining 2 tablespoons oil until lightly golden.

When tomatoes have softened, add bread cubes. Simmer few minutes more until heated through and softened but not until bread has completely lost its shape. If too dry, add more tomatoes or chicken broth until desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper, serve drizzled with olive oil and garnished with basil leaves.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving, with chicken broth, contains about:

358 calories; 766 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 1.83 grams fiber.

LOMBARDY BREAD PUDDING (Dolce di Pane)

1 pound bread without crust

3 cups milk

2/3 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

Grated peel of 1 lemon

Pinch cinnamon

1/4 cup dried or crystallized fruit, such as dried cherries, apricots and/or ginger, diced

1 tablespoon butter

This Lombardy-style bread pudding, adapted from Lorenza de Medici’s “The Heritage of Italian Cooking” (Random House, 1990), is the easiest and best bread pudding I’ve ever made. The grated lemon peel gives it a lighter flavor than the usual, sometimes cloying, vanilla.

Tear bread into pieces. Soak in milk 1 hour. Squeeze out bread. Combine with sugar, egg yolks and lemon peel. Add cinnamon and fruit and mix well.

Line loaf pan with parchment baking paper. Butter paper. Fill pan with bread mixture and smooth surface. Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour. Cool briefly, then turn onto serving plate. Cut into thick slices and serve warm.

Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Each of 12 servings contains about:

Each serving contains about: 202 calories; 225 mg sodium; 98 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.18 gram fiber.

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REFER: More bread: A panettone bread pudding in Culinary SOS, H8