BLT Panzanella

Author Notes

I loved the BLT's my mom made me when I was little, with tomatoes fresh from her garden. They were still warm from the sun, and when combined with the salty bacon and crispy lettuce, along with the crumbly white toast (what is it that's so comforting about toasted bread?) and a healthy dollop of mayo, it was like summer on a plate. Living in Manhattan, Greenmarket tomatoes are the closest I get to tomatoes from the garden. My husband wanted grilled steak for dinner, and I wanted a BLT. So I made the BLT into a side dish and we both got our way. Ahhh, marriage and the art of compromise... —Meredith Shanley

Test Kitchen Notes

What struck us immediately about Meredith Shanley's recipe was its cleverness. That and the fact that it calls for bacon. In a smart maneuver, Meredith not only uses cubed bacon in the salad, but she saves some of the drippings for the dressing, a bright lemony affair made creamy with Dijon mustard and a touch of mayo. The juices from the tomatoes meld with the dressing, helping to make a little go a long way, and peppery arugula keeps the salad from being too rich. Resist the temptation to use too much bread, or the salad won't be balanced the way it should be. - A&M —The Editors