Panzanella, the Tuscan bread salad of bread, tomatoes, oil, vinegar, basil, is already peak summer cooking, but this grilled, summer produce-heavy rendition might be even more so. The dish is best in the summer when tomatoes are at their juiciest, which is exactly when you don’t want to turn on the oven to toast bread. But dry bread is the key to the salad’s deliciousness because it soaks up the tomato juices and vinaigrette for a mix of crisp and soft bites. So head outside to the grill: Charring the bread brings a nutty, smoky edge to the sweet tomatoes, corn and cucumbers. Add mozzarella, too, for creaminess, or make the salad vegan by replacing the mozzarella with white beans.

Grilled Corn Panzanella
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into roughly 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into roughly 1-inch pieces, or 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 Persian or mini seedless cucumbers, cut 1/4 inch thick
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 (12-ounce) loaf sourdough or rustic bread, sliced 1 inch thick
• 3 ears of corn, shucked
• 20 basil leaves, torn if large

Directions:
Heat a grill to medium-high. In a very large bowl, stir together the oil, vinegar and mozzarella. Place a large colander or sieve on top of the mozzarella mixture. Add the tomatoes, cucumbers and shallot to the colander and season generously with salt, about 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. Stir to coat. Set aside to allow the tomato and cucumber juices to form a vinaigrette with the oil and vinegar beneath.

On a sheet pan, brush the bread and corn all over with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Head outside with the sheet pan and tongs.

Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until browned in spots, 10 to 12 minutes. Grill the bread until crisp and charred in spots, 1 to 3 minutes per side. (Watch closely; bread likes to burn.) Return ingredients to the sheet pan as they finish, then head back inside.

Shake the colander of tomatoes and cucumbers to get all the juices in the bowl, then set the colander aside in the sink. Tear the bread into 1-inch pieces and cut the kernels off the cobs. To the bowl of mozzarella, add the bread, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, shallots and basil and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve right away or let sit, stirring occasionally, for up to 30 minutes.
Total time: 50 minutes, serves 4-6 (makes 12 cups).

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