Veteran author and recipe developer, Alexis deBoschnek, thought she had home cooking on lock until she became the primary caretaker and chef for her mother, which inspired her to think harder about cooking as a daily task. Her new book, Nights and Weekends, highlights recipes eminently achievable for every time and effort constraint. While there’s nothing better than eating tomatoes straight from the vine, this Panzanella recipe is a great way to use copious amounts of tomatoes without doing too much to them.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup full-fat sour cream 
• Zest and juice of 2 lemons (about¼ cup juice)
• 2 tablespoons everything bagel spice blend, plus more for serving
• ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 large fennel bulb, stalks removed, bulb thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cups roughly torn sourdough bread
• ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh dill

Directions:

1. Combine the sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, everything bagel blend, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a glass measuring cup and whisk until smooth.
   
2. Combine the tomatoes, fennel, red onion, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt to a medium bowl and stir. Let sit for at least 5 minutes at room temperature.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the bread and cook, stirring occasionally, spice until golden brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the bread to a serving platter and season with salt.
4. Add the tomatoes, fennel, red onion, and dill to the serving platter and toss to combine. Drizzle the dressing on the panzanella and sprinkle more everything bagel blend on top. Serve immediately.

Notes: To make your own everything bagel seasoning, combine 1 table­ spoon poppy seeds, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon dried garlic, 1 tablespoon dried onion, and 2 teaspoons coarse salt. I've opted for cherry tomatoes since they're bite-size, but you can chop up any in-season tomatoes. The dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The tomatoes, fennel, and red onion can be sliced and salted and left to rest, covered, at room temperature for up to 8 hours. Just be sure to drain any excess liquid that may have pooled in the bottom of the bowl. Once assembled, the salad is best eaten immediately.