Honey & Strawberry Panzanella

This panzanella salad is incredibly easy to put together and incorporates great summery ingredients. To make the balsamic vinegar syrup I just heated some in a sauce pan until it was thickened. I've used honey goat cheese previously and have never had an issue finding it in the store. You could sub any other kind of cheese. Fresh mozzarella would be good in this recipe if you prefer that over goat cheese.

Recipe from The Housewife in Training Files. 

Ingredients: 

-4 cups sliced strawberries
-4 cups cubed Baguette
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-4 oz honey goat cheese, crumbled
-20 fresh basil leaves
-Balsamic Vinegar Syrup

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a foil lined baking sheet, drizzle the cubed bread with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake about 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.
2.) On each plate layer the bread cubes and strawberries. Add basil leaves and drizzle with balsamic syrup.

This recipe had a great color contrast and the salad seemed really fresh. The strawberries were sweet and the honey goat cheese added a more subtle sweetness. The balsamic syrup helped to add a tangy element to the dish which cut through the sweetness a little bit. This would be a great starter for a summer dinner party.