Rustic Bread Salad

Name: Rustic Bread Salad
Yield: serves 12
Ingredients: 1/4 to 1/2 cup pine nuts, for garnish; 1 whole round loaf day-old rustic bread (about 1 pound); 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 3 ears sweet corn, shucked and steamed in the microwave on high for 3 minutes; 3 bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, or any combination), cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped; 1 medium zucchini, cut in 1/8-inch-thick slices and quartered; 1 medium yellow squash, cut in 1/8-inch-thick slices and quartered; 2 pints assorted cherry tomatoes, halved; 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons; 2 cups loosely packed baby arugula or other baby greens; 3 tablespoons loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped; 1 large heirloom or farmstand tomato, cored, sliced, and cut into bite-size pieces; Parmesan curls, for garnish (see Tip, page 18); 1/3 cup red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon); 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 2 large cloves garlic, minced; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

December 14, 2011

This hearty salad is packed with so many vegetables that I often serve it as a main course. It’s a real lifesaver when guests announce, “Oh, by the way, did I mention I’m a vegetarian?” It welcomes just about any edible treasure from the farmers’ market or my garden, from sliced sugar snap peas to colorful nasturtium flowers, slender French green beans to crunchy cucumbers, plus all kinds of peppers. Think seasonally: try fall veggies like roasted acorn squash, steamed broccoli florets, or fall lettuces, or bias-cut and steamed spring asparagus. Any good artisan bread will do, but I prefer a dense white or whole-wheat sourdough; try day-old loaves from your bakery.

Recipe notes

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