Tuscan bread and tomato salad (panzanella)

Name: Tuscan bread and tomato salad (panzanella)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 0.5 Ciabatta, a day or two old, torn into chunks; 6 Tomatoes, ripe, cut into chunks; 2 g Salt; 0.5 Cucumber, halved and sliced; 0.5 Red onions, thinly sliced; 1 Peppers, red, diced; 25 ml Red wine vinegar; 60 ml Olive oil; 0.1 Garlic, crushed; 15 g Fresh basil, torn

A Tuscan way to use up stale bread: chunks soaked in tomato juices and a sharp dressing with cucumber, red onion and basil. Best made with the ripest summer tomatoes.

Ingredients

0.5 Ciabatta, a day or two old, torn into chunks
6 Tomatoes, ripe, cut into chunks
2 g Salt
0.5 Cucumber, halved and sliced
0.5 Red onions, thinly sliced
1 Peppers, red, diced
25 ml Red wine vinegar
60 ml Olive oil
0.1 Garlic, crushed
15 g Fresh basil, torn

Method

Toss the tomatoes with the salt in a large bowl and leave for 15 minutes so they release their juices.
Meanwhile toast the bread chunks in a dry pan or hot oven for 5 minutes until crisp on the outside.
Whisk the vinegar, oil and garlic into the tomato juices. Add the bread, cucumber, onion and pepper and toss well. Leave for 10 minutes so the bread soaks up the juices, then scatter with basil.