To me, summer is synonymous with grilling. My Dad was a grilling fanatic and now every time we use the grill he bought us years ago in our first home, memories come rushing back. The warm sun on my skin, the feeling of the breeze, and the smell of the charcoal are instant reminders of him. Though we do enjoy the typical grilled fare of burgers, occasional steaks, etc., my grilling style is a bit different. I like to experiment with somewhat lighter dishes that still benefit from that irreplaceable char-grilled flavor.
Recently I thought it might be fun to try a grilled panzanella. I grilled thick slices of sourdough bread spread with garlic butter and simple marinated chicken breasts. When the bread and chicken were finished, I chopped them up and tossed them together with diced cucumber, tomato, and crumbled feta cheese. The warm bread and grilled chicken are nicely contrasted by the cool, crunchy cucumbers and ripe tomatoes. The buttery, garlicky bread cubes were definitely my favorite part – how could they not be? This is a quick, simple and refreshing meal that is sure to be a go-to meal through the rest of the summer.