Summer bread salad surprise

Bread salads” may sound a bit odd, but they couldn’t make more sense. Made with extra-large bread cubes nestled alongside veggies, they’re perfect for soaking up juicy tomatoes and a tasty vinaigrette. Many American versions of panzanella use croutons, but the authentic version is made with a dry bread that is soaked in water to reconstitute it, then mixed with tomato, cucumber, basil, and onion, and dressed with olive oil and vinegar. In hard times, it was often made with just bread and onion, but today you may see such additions as tuna, green beans, bell peppers, anchovies, hard-boiled eggs and capers. This panzanella takes advantage of summer corn and cherry tomatoes and features baby kale for and extra flavor boost.

Summer Panzanella

Salad ingredients:

8 ounces baguette, cubed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 ears corn, shucked

1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut into halves

2 ounces baby kale or arugula

Vinaigrette ingredients:

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons minced shallot

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Toss bread cubes with olive oil, salt and pepper, place on a baking sheet, and toast in oven until lightly brown.

Cut kernels from corn cobs and place in a large bowl with bread. Add tomato halves and kale.

To prepare vinaigrette, combine all ingredients and mix well. Add toasted bread cubes to bowl. Pour dressing over salad. Serve within 15 minutes so bread doesn’t get too soggy.

Serves 6.

— Recipe by Chef Sarah Myers; photo by Mark Boughton; styling by Teresa Blackburn. For more recipes, visit CommunityTable.com/recipes