Zucchini Panzanella Salad

Colette at art intensive program, coming home inspired, blackened shrimp. Summer in full bloom, the kind of heat that makes you question everything except the quality of the food on the table and the cold beer in your hand. The kids are in their summer shapes: Colette drawing and painting with the intensity of someone who sees the world as a canvas and refuses to leave any part of it unfinished. Rémy in the kitchen, in the bayou, in the drainage ditch (still no fish there — eighth year of commitment to a fishless ditch, which is either persistence or insanity, and in the Beaumont family, those are the same thing).

The food was summer food — light where it could be, heavy where it wanted to be, and always, always, with the cayenne and the garlic and the holy trinity that makes everything in this kitchen Cajun regardless of origin. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. And both were good. C\'est bon.

The smoke and the cayenne get all the glory in this kitchen, but there’s always a moment in a long Louisiana summer when the heat outside meets the heat in the pan and you need something that breathes — something with crunch and acid and a little green in it to balance everything else out. After a day of watching Colette paint like the world was running out of color and Rémy haul himself in and out of that stubborn fishless ditch, I wanted to put something on the table that felt like the season without surrendering to it. This zucchini panzanella was that dish — summer food at its most honest, light where the day let it be.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 cups crusty bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 medium zucchini, sliced into thin half-moons
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn (optional)

Instructions

Toast the bread. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss bread pieces with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread on a baking sheet and toast 8—10 minutes until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool slightly.
Char the zucchini. Heat a grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Toss zucchini slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook 2—3 minutes per side until lightly charred. Remove from heat.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
Soak the bread. Place toasted bread in a large bowl. Drizzle half the dressing over it and toss gently. Let sit 5 minutes so the bread absorbs the flavor without going soggy.
Assemble the salad. Add grilled zucchini, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and basil to the bread. Pour remaining dressing over the top and toss to combine. Add torn mozzarella if using.
Rest and serve. Let the salad sit 5 minutes before serving so the flavors come together. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Zucchini Panzanella Salad — Summer on the Table, Light Where It Wants to Be