Panzanella (Tuscan Summer Bread and Vegetable Salad)

This is an ingenious and delicious way to use up yesterday’s bread. Many cuisines transform day-old bread into similar salads, as well as bread soups and more.

With real Tuscan bread, which is firm and dense, the day-old bread is soaked in cold water, then squeezed dry. Because most bread we get here is less dense, I’ve soaked the bread more quickly and then marinated it in a vinegar and olive oil dressing, which soaks in nicely.