Tomato Cucumber and Peach Panzanella Salad

Place the thinly sliced shallots into a small mixing bowl. Pour the apple cider vinegar, salt, and sugar over the shallots. Stir to combine the ingredients together. Set aside to pickle while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Place the peaches, tomatoes, and cucumbers into a large colander. Set the colander into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the top and toss to cover in the salt. Set the bowl with the colander inside of it aside while you fry the bread.

Preheat a large stainless steel or cast iron frying pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and let the oil warm up for about 30 seconds. Add the cubed bread to the frying pan, tossing to coat in the oil.

Fry the bread for about 3 minutes, stirring often so each side of the bread toasts but doesn’t burn. Remove the bread from the frying pan and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle with a small pinch of flaky salt.

Remove the colander of cucumbers, tomatoes, and peaches from the mixing bowl and set the mixing bowl aside with any juices the tomatoes and peaches have released left in the bowl. Rinse the tomatoes, cucumbers, and peaches in the colander in cold water to rinse off the salt. Leave the colander in the sink to drain while you make the dressing. 

In the mixing bowl with the remaining juice from the cucumbers, tomatoes, and peaches, add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and dijon mustard. Whisk the ingredients together until they homogenize.

Into the mixing bowl with the dressing, add the pan-fried bread, rinsed tomatoes, peaches, and cucumbers, and fresh chopped basil. Toss to coat everything in the dressing. Add about half of the pickled shallots, leaving behind any of the remaining pickling liquid. Stir to incorporate the shallots in, adding more to taste or saving any remaining shallots for another use.

Serve the salad with grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!