this is such a wonderful, colorful, hearty salad. i served this tonight with crab stuffed shrimp. i think it paired nicely together. you could make this salad with any vegetable you like. i chose, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, baby artichokes, kalamata olives, and fresh basil. panzanella is sometimes referred to as "leftover salad", because you should use day old bread. i didn't have day old bread, so when i got back home from the market, i cubed the baguette and left it out for a few hours to "stale up". i used a whole wheat baguette that i cut into 1" cubes. i then toasted the bread cubes in a little extra virgin olive oil for about ten minutes or so, until the cubes got nice and golden. make a simple vinaigrette, toss with the veggies, and add the bread cubes at the end. i have looked at a lot of panzanella recipes and most say to toss the dressing over everything, but i want to be assured my bread doesn't get soggy, so i don't go that route. i hate soggy bread, the thought makes me a bit queasy, actually. this is a a fantastic summer salad, that travels well. think about taking it to your next bbq, everyone will love it!
