Marinated tomatoes and crisp corn bring punchy summer flavors to bread salad

In Italy, summer produce and stale bread are combined to make panzanella, and no two ingredients capture the flavors of the season quite like tomatoes and corn. This vibrant, panzanella-inspired salad includes both, along with toasted hunks of crusty white bread, fresh mozzarella, peppery arugula and sliced onion.

In this recipe from our cookbook “ Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,” we briefly marinate tomato wedges and onion slices in a punchy vinaigrette before tossing with sweet corn, leafy greens, fresh basil, cheese and bread.

Stale bread is traditional in panzanella; since most of us don’t have that on hand, we toast cubed pieces of a crusty, rustic loaf until golden brown to give it a crisp-chewy texture that won’t turn soggy when soaked with the salad’s dressing and juices.

Be sure to use fresh, water-packed mozzarella for this salad, not the pre-shredded cheese that comes in a bag. You can find it sold in orbs of different sizes; smallish bocconcini and even smaller ciliegine are great for this salad because they’re easily torn into bite-size pieces.

Crisp, juicy kernels cut from ears of peak-season corn are, of course, ideal, but frozen corn that has been thawed and patted dry is fine in a pinch. Finish the salad with hand-torn basil or, for a refreshing summery twist, fresh mint.

Start to finish: 20 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

6 ounces crusty white bread, sliced ½-inch thick and torn into bite-size pieces (about 6 cups)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar OR sherry vinegar

1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into ½-inch-thick wedges

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

1½ cups corn kernels (from 2 ears corn)

2 cups lightly packed baby arugula OR watercress OR mixed greens

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (see headnote), torn into bite-size pieces

½ cup lightly packed fresh basil OR mint, torn

Directions

Heat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle position. In a large bowl, toss the bread with 3 tablespoons of oil, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Distribute in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; reserve the bowl. Bake for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in the same bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the vinegar and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and onion, then toss; set aside.

After the bread has toasted for 5 minutes, add the corn to the baking sheet and stir to combine. Bake until the croutons are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Cool to room temperature. To the tomato-onion mixture, add the bread-corn mixture, the arugula, mozzarella and basil, then toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more recipes, go to Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street at 177milkstreet.com/ap