I never know where I’ll find inspiration for a meal. Often it’s when I’m paging through the many new cookbooks we lucky library employees come across. Other times, it’s when I’m watching Food Network on a Saturday morning. This time, though, it was when I was nearing the end of the September issue of O: The Oprah Magazine, which features a portrait of the late Breonna Taylor on the cover.
I didn’t intend to find a recipe for dinner after reading the many thought-provoking articles on racism in America. But the recipe for Panzanella Salad with Arugula and Crispy Parmesan was welcome nonetheless. I didn’t follow the recipe as written (I didn’t have arugula or grated Parmesan on hand), but I did have fresh tomatoes, red onion and basil, as well as some several days old crusty bread! Add in the dressing ingredients — red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, and it was an excellent salad to serve with grilled chicken. While the recipe calls for toasting the bread cubes in the oven, I opted to toast them in a skillet on the stove top in a tablespoon of olive oil.
If you’re looking for a magazine that forces you to think about yourself and the country as a whole, plus offers ways to use seasonal ingredients, check out the September issue of O: The Oprah Magazine. It’s available for request from Whitehall Public Library. Call us today, or add it to your holds list by clicking here. It’s also available digitally through Overdrive/Libby.
