Salad

This salad tastes best up to 1 hour after making it. To make ahead store the salad components separately (up to 3 hours), and toss before serving.

We recommend serving this juicy salad as a first course, either alone or accompanied by mixed greens. We used beefsteak tomatoes, but any fresh, ripe tomatoes would be equally delicious.

If you can find it, use Zephyr squash, which is yellow with a pale-green tip. You can also use a mix of young green and yellow squashes.

To pit the olives, place them on a cutting board, and press firmly with your thumb. The olives will split, and the pits can be easily removed.

Soaking the anchovies in red-wine vinegar gives them a wonderful pickled flavor.

You can intensify the garlic flavor by rubbing an additional clove on one side of the toasted bread before tearing it into chunks.

We used several varieties of beets, including Golden Globe and Chioggia, for a colorful salad, but you may use any variety you like.

The small inner leaves of romaine lettuce are tender and crisp, perfect for this salad. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the Pecorino Romano.