Summer Harvest Grilled Panzanella Salad -- The Side Dish the Robinson Table Didn't Know It Needed

Fourth of July week and the Robinson celebration is its own kind of independence — Daddy grills, Mama makes sides, and nobody talks politics at the table, which is a family rule that exists because the one year someone did talk politics at the table, MawMaw Shirley put down her fork and said, "I did not drive from Baker to argue with my own family. Somebody pass the potato salad." The rule has held since.

MawMaw Shirley came down for the Fourth. Daddy drove to Baker to get her and she arrived with a cooler of her potato salad — the one with the mustard and the eggs and the relish, deviled-egg potato salad she calls it, and it is the best potato salad in East Baton Rouge Parish and I will fight anyone who disputes this. She also brought a pecan pie, because MawMaw Shirley does not arrive anywhere empty-handed. Empty hands are not permitted in her worldview. You bring something. Always.

Jamal did not come home for the Fourth — too expensive, too far, work schedule — and his absence was felt in the way that absences are felt at family tables: by the extra space, the chair that nobody sits in, the moment when Daddy serves a plate and reaches for one more before remembering. Mama FaceTimed him during dessert and Jamal showed us his apartment in Houston, which was small and clean and had a kitchen that he clearly did not use, and Mama said, "Boy, there is nothing in that refrigerator," and Jamal said, "There is ketchup," and Mama closed her eyes in a way that suggested she was praying for his survival.

I made watermelon agua fresca for the first time — just watermelon, lime, sugar, and ice, blended and strained — and it was so good that everyone had three glasses and by the end of the afternoon we had gone through an entire watermelon. Simple things, done right, are the whole philosophy. MawMaw Shirley tasted it and said, "Where did you learn that?" and I said, "The internet." She looked at the internet the way she looks at dishwashers: with suspicion and the acknowledgment that it occasionally produces acceptable results.

Between MawMaw Shirley’s deviled-egg potato salad holding court on one end of the table and Daddy working the grill on the other, I wanted to bring something that felt like the season — something that honored the smoke and the heat and the garden-ripe produce that makes a summer cookout taste like summer is supposed to taste. This Summer Harvest Grilled Panzanella Salad is exactly that: it lives where the grill meets the garden, which is precisely where our whole Fourth of July afternoon lived too.

Summer Harvest Grilled Panzanella Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 small baguette or rustic loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
• 1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
• 1 yellow bell pepper, quartered and seeded
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the grill. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F). Brush the grates clean and lightly oil them.
2. Grill the bread. Toss the bread cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place in a grill basket or directly on the grates and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and lightly charred. Set aside.
3. Grill the vegetables. Brush the zucchini halves and bell pepper quarters with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side until tender with good char marks. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly, then chop into 1-inch pieces.
4. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until emulsified.
5. Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the grilled bread cubes, chopped grilled vegetables, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Pour the dressing over the top and toss well to coat. Let the salad sit for 5 to 10 minutes so the bread absorbs the dressing and softens slightly.
6. Finish and serve. Fold in the torn basil and mozzarella if using. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 27g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 340mg