Spring Panzanella Recipe
(Makes about 6 - 8 servings)
Sarah Dobec, Holistic Nutritionist
- 1 lb loaf of hearty, day-old, whole wheat bread into 1-inch cubes
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme - just pluck leaves from the sprig
- a couple pinches of salt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch asparagus, cut into segments
- 2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
- 4 handfuls spinach
- 1/4 cup small basil leaves
In a large bowl toss the bread with the garlic, shallot, thyme, salt and olive oil. Turn the bread out onto a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes - or until they are nice and golden and crunchy.
In a cold skillet pour in a splash of olive oil, a splash of water, and a couple pinches of salt. Dial up the heat and when the water starts to bubble stir in the asparagus.
Cover, wait about twenty seconds; add the peas. Cover, wait a few seconds, add the spinach. Cover and cook just a few more seconds until the spinach starts to collapse just a bit.
Put the bread crumbs in a large bowl. Pour the asparagus and peas and all the juice over the top of the bread. Toss well; add the basil leaves and toss again. Serve the salad family-style on a big platter.
Thyme has a long history of use in natural medicine in connection with chest and respiratory problems including coughs, bronchitis, and chest congestion. Thymol - named after the herb itself - is the primary volatile oil constituent of thyme, and its health-supporting effects are well documented. In studies on aging in rats, thymol has been found to protect and significantly increase the percentage of healthy fats found in cell membranes and other cell structures. In particular, the amount of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid) in brain, kidney, and heart cell membranes was increased after dietary supplementation with thyme.
Asparagus contains a special kind of carbohydrate called inulin that we don't digest, but the health-promoting friendly bacteria in our large intestine, such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, do. When our diet contains good amounts of inulin, the growth and activity of these friendly bacteria increase. And when populations of health-promoting bacteria are large, it is much more difficult for unfriendly bacteria to gain a foothold in our intestinal tract.
