Panzanella

I was reading up on the news on Yahoo one day and came across this recipe for Panzanella. I've always seen Panzanella being made on cooking shows or featured in a restaurant on TV, but I've never had it. I always loved the croutons in my salads, so I imagined it was like eating a bowl full of croutons.  So I decided to give it a try. Let me tell you that its even better than eating a bowl full of croutons. Its fresh and light and tangy and so full of flavor. Hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed it that we ate huge bowl fulls of it as a main course. This is my new favorite salad.

Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 anchovies, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1) Combine all the ingredients, except olive oil, in a bowl. Allow to sit for 15 minutes for the flavors to infuse.

2) While whisking, slowly add olive oil in a steady stream until fully incorporated. Set aside.

Salad
1 loaf of day-old french bread, torn in large pieces
2 lbs. tomato, large diced
1/2 cup red onion (or any sweet onion), sliced thin
2 medium cucumbers, large diced
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn in large pieces

1) To assemble the salad, place all salad ingredients in the a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to meld. Or if you like your bread to have a bite, you can eat the salad right away.