All of the rich (and creamy) (and cheesy) foods of winter are making me cry uncle. Can somebody get me a salad? Specifically, I wantthat bright and crunchy combo of bread tossed with vegetables, olive oil, and cheese.
In other words, I want a panzanella.
I know, I know, panzanella is a summer thing—you need ripe tomatoes and fresh basil. Except when you don't. Turns out a bread salad is doable even in the coldest months. Here are three examples that prove it.
Toss torn and toasted country bread with sturdy vegetables like radicchio or fennel, then pair these with the kind of things you'd find in an Italian sub: hard spicy salamis, sharp cheeses, and briny chopped olives.
Pastrami on rye: it's not just a sandwich anymore. Here, it turns into bowl food, with pickled onions, toasty caraway croutons, and sliced cucumbers.
Have panettone left over from the holidays? Tear it up, toast it in butter, and toss it with shaved Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced red cabbage, and chopped apples. The Christmas bread has never been so wholesome.
