Where I live tomatoes are trucked for miles in winter. I think they’re tomatoes. That what the sign says. The taste says nothing. Nothing. Dust. In summer though, picked at the peak of ripeness from nearby farms the tomato is a magical thing. For me, it just screams summer and I work them into almost every meal for as long as they last. I’ve lifted Judy Rodger’s bread technique from her fabulous Zuni chicken with bread salad. This extra step pushes it right over the top. Get some good crusty bread, slice it fairly thick, brush it liberally with olive oil and toast it under the broiler. There are two stars in panzanella – tomatoes and bread – so please use a nice open crumb sturdy white bread. You can mix the bread in to soak up the tomato goodness or, if you want something a bit more formal (and to hit your guests over the head with how good the bread is) then dress the salad and top with the bread. This dish gives you a good reason to break out that super high end olive oil you’ve been hoarding.
