Panzanella

Can you believe it's almost Labor Day? The summer has flown by. Where we live, some trees at the back of our property near the brook are already tipping red on the upper branches. The light is more precious--and clearer, too, as if in compensation as the sun sets behind the valley a little earlier than it was doing about a month ago.

Bruce and I celebrated the last bits of summer yesterday with a hearty plate of panzanella, an Italian bread salad made with lots of veggies, particularly sun-ripe tomatoes. Without any ado, because it's the best gift for the end of the season, here it is, ready for your holiday weekend:

Start with about half a loaf of Italian bread. It's best if it's a couple days old. Leave it out on the counter overnight, if possible. Then preheat the oven to 350F, cube the bread into big-old chunks, and toss them with a little olive oil on a big, lipped baking sheet. Set them in the oven and roast until lightly browned, tossing occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix all of this in a large bowl: 5 medium tomatoes, chopped; 2 medium cukes, peeled, halved the long way, the seeds scooped out with a flatware spoon, and then chopped; 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed of its fronds and stalks, then chopped; 1 small red onion, chopped; and a good handful of chopped basil leaves. Think rustic: chopped, not diced. Also pour in about 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, some fine sea salt, and some ground black pepper. Toss it and leave it be while the bread toasts, so that the vegetables leach a little moisture from the salt, making even more dressing in the bowl.

Once the bread comes out of the oven, pour it into the bowl and toss it up. And that's it. About four servings here. We had it on its own--but it's terrific with almost anything off the grill. A steak? Pure heaven with panzanella. Because nothing could be more summery, more celebratory. So I heartily wish you and yours a wonderful holiday weekend. May the last bits of summer give you a healing taste of air and light. These are the good gifts for all of us.