Panzanella

For Mothers Day this year, my mother wanted to have everyone at her house for pizza. She wanted to something easy so nobody had to cook or clean. To go along with the pizza I decided to make a salad. I searched the web for something different instead of the same old salad or the same old antipasta. I checked out thenest and found a recipe for Panzanella salad. It is basically a salad that you use old stale bread to soak up the juices of the tomatoes and dressing. It was quite good. I used the celestial seasonings italian salad dressing instead of theirs. So here is the recipe...

Panzanella

Ingredients:
1/2 pound Italian bread, 3 to 4 days old, cut into 1-inch thick slices1/2 cup cold water1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1⁄2-inch cubesKosher salt1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar2 cloves garlic, minced1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oilFreshly ground black pepper1 1/2 to 2 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 5), seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes1 medium red onion (4 to 5 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch dice1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn
Directions:
Sprinkle the bread with the water and let stand about 2 minutes. Gently squeeze the bread dry as you tear it into roughly 1-inch pieces. Spread the pieces of torn bread on paper towels to dry slightly, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, spread the cucumber pieces on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Let stand about 20 minutes to extract the bitter juices. Put the cucumbers in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Pat dry.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, torn basil, and the bread. Toss to combine and let stand until the bread has absorbed some of the vinaigrette, about 20 minutes.
Cooking Right: Reconstitute stale bread by sprinkling it with water. Gently squeeze out any excess water as you tear the bread into pieces. Don’t be too zealous as you squeeze or the bread will fall apart.
Excerpted from Cooking New American by the Editors of Fine Cooking. Copyright © 2004. Reprinted with permission from Taunton Press, Inc. Recipe by Joanne Weir.