Press Release
Rustic Italian Cornbread Salad Captures the Flavors of Summer
NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 2008 — Several years ago, cornbread salads started appearing out of nowhere at church suppers, covered dish dinners and buffets from Amarillo, Texas to Macon, Georgia. Little seems to be known about the origin of this grassroots trend, but it is probably safe to say that a thrifty cook tried it as a way to use leftover cornbread and discovered a wonderful new use for this Southern favorite.
Cornbread salads were initially prepared in the same fashion as potato or macaroni salad using many of the same ingredients. But variations are limited only by the cook's imagination, so they soon started showing up in a myriad of flavors. "It's not much of a stretch to use toasted cornbread cubes in the classic Italian bread salad panzanella – the perfect salad to make when tomatoes are abundant," suggests the Martha White® baking expert Linda Carman. "We've combined the cornbread cubes and tomatoes with mozzarella, olives and basil, but feel free to add red onion, cucumber and even cannellini beans if you want." Simply dressed with oil and vinegar, this salad superbly captures the flavors of summer
Tuscan Cornbread Salad
Cornbread
1 (6 oz.) pkg. Martha White® Buttermilk Cornbread Mix
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup water
Salad
2 lbs. fresh ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1–inch pieces
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2–inch pieces
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
5 tablespoons Crisco® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Shaved Parmesan and toasted pine nuts
Preheat oven to 450° F. Grease a 10–inch cast iron skillet. Combine cornbread mix, grated Parmesan and water in medium bowl. Stir until smooth. Pour into hot skillet. Bake at 450° F. for 10 to 13 minutes or until dark golden brown. Turn out onto cooling rack; cool 10 to 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. With serrated knife cut cornbread into 1–inch cubes. Place in a 9x13 (or larger) pan. Bake at 350° F. for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Cool.
Combine tomatoes, mozzarella, olives, and basil leaves in large bowl. Sprinkle with olive oil and vinegar; add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Add cornbread; toss gently. Garnish with shaved Parmesan and pine nuts.
6 servings
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