The grill does not automatically come to mind when preparing a salad for an outdoor gathering. But James Beard Award-winning chef Bradford Thompson has a great idea for an Italian salad classic, Panzanella, or bread salad, using the grill.

As with vegetables or meats, grilling bread imparts a fantastic smoky, rich flavor. When added to juicy, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, this salad is not only tasty, but very satisfying and filling as well. Bradford uses olive bread, but you can substitute your favorite. Just be sure it is a dense bread - such as whole wheat or sourdough - that will hold its shape when grilled and after soaking up all the delicious juices from the vegetables. This salad gets even better as it sits and is the perfect use for day-old bread.

Ingredients:
1 loaf olive bread, sliced 1 inch thick
½ - ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
2 red onions, sliced 1 inch thick
1 bunch breakfast radishes, very thinly sliced
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and sliced ½-inch thick
10 basil leaves, torn
10 mint leaves, torn
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat grill to low heat. Put bread slices in dish and drizzle enough olive oil over them to soak. Let stand 20 minutes. Grill bread slices, turning once, until crisp and browned. Let cool and cut into 1-inch cubes.

2. Season onion slices with salt and pepper. Grill until very soft and caramelized. Lightly salt tomatoes and let stand 10 minutes.

3. Transfer bread cubes, onions, tomatoes, radishes, and herbs to large bowl. Drizzle with vinegars and olive oil left from marinating until lightly dressed to taste. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 6.

Special Thanks:
Bradford Thompson
btchef@yahoo.com