Winter Panzanella Salad

Recipe by Ashley Smith of Dynamic Duo Nutrition.

This dish is a winter take on a local summer favorite – panzanella salad with roasted veggies, salty bacon and crunchy croutons!

Salad Ingredients:
Base the amounts of veggies on how much you want to eat, and whatever variety of winter veggies you have on hand.
Carrot
Brussels sprouts
Rutabaga
Turnip
Daikon radish
Kohlrabi
Shallot
3/4 cup of local maple syrup
1 tbsp of room temp butter
salt & pepper
chili powder
diced garlic cloves
a splash of white vinegar
diced smoked bacon (uncooked)  from Glenwood Farms

Salad Instructions:
-Preheat oven 350 degrees.
-Julienne or dice a liberal amount of vegetables.
-Combine in large mixing bowl with local maple syrup, butter, salt, pepper, chili powder, diced garlic cloves, white vinegar, and diced smoked bacon.
-Mix and spread evenly in a glass casserole dish. 

Homemade garlic crouton ingredients:
Round loaf of local bread
Room temp butter or olive oil
Onion powder
Minced garlic

Homemade garlic crouton instructions:
-Cut or tear loaf of local bread into cube-like pieces.
I-n a separate mixing bowl toss it with melted butter, onion powder, and LOTS of minced garlic (Infused olive can be substituted for butter.) Coat well but don’t soak. Add to a baking pan.

Bring the pieces together:
Put your veggie/bacon mixture on the bottom rack of your oven and your croutons on the top rack. 

Watch the croutons carefully and take them out when they are perfectly done (about 30-45 min.) The veggie bacon mix will be a bit longer, about an hour and a half until they completely soften. Regularly stir the vegetables and add 1 tbsp of butter if the mixture gets too dry during the cooking.