Nap Time Panzanella

Making dinner is a bit of a struggle these days, but John and I prefer homemade meals for the taste and health.  One of our favorite summer meals is panzanella, which is essentially bread salad.  What could be better than a salad made almost entirely of bread?!

I've developed a nap time-friendly version of this salad where everything can be done in advance, and then 15 minutes before you want to eat, you put the bread in the oven.  The original recipe calls for sauteing the bread for 15 minutes while almost constantly minding the stove.  That doesn't really work in my life these days, so I came up with this cheat that actually tastes just as good.

The vegetables can be cut up ahead of time and the dressing can be made in advance.  This method works well for when you're having guests over too and don't want to be standing around cooking the whole time you would rather be outside on the patio.

Orelia samples this dinner, but the only thing she really eats is the fried bead.

A girl after my own heart, so I can't really blame her.

Nap Time Panzanella
Adapted from an Ina Garten recipe

Makes two huge portions of four big portions

For the croutons:
3-5 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Garlic powder
1 small or half of a large thick, rustic bread (not fluffy bread) - day old bread is great here - cut into one-inch cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut bread into one-inch cubes and lay out in one layer on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss with plenty of kosher salt and garlic powder.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, tossing once, until cubes are crispy.

For the salad:
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 English cucumbers or 4 Persian cucumbers (these varieties have mild skins instead of bitter skins), cut into one-inch chunks
10-15 basil leaves, sliced into ribbons

For the dressing:
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
Kosher salt
Black pepper

To assemble the salad, add the cooked bread cubes to the chopped vegetables and drizzle the dressing on top.  Toss until the bread is fully coated with the dressing and serve immediately (otherwise the bread gets soggy).