Bread Salad

Also known as Panzanella, this bread salad is the perfect solution if you have a stale baguette.

It’s a great chance to take advantage of day old bread on sale at the supermarket or use leftovers from lunch the day before.

You can use any type of tinned fish including sardines or tuna, or go vegetarian. Fresh basil is best but dried will do fine. Take the basic idea and play around with what you have. Try adding chopped bell peppers or any other vegetable you like from the market.

• 2 cups day-old crusty bread (ciabatta or baguette)
• 4 large tomatoes
• 1 small cucumber
• 1 large onion
• 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 can of fish (tuna or sardines)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 5-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• basil, freshly chopped or dried

Cut or tear the bread into pieces about an inch across and put in a saucepan. In another pan or bowl, mix the oil, vinegar and garlic together. Chop the tomatoes, keeping the juice, and throw them in with the oil mixture. Once it’s well mixed, pour over the bread and mix well.

Let this all soak while you chop the cucumber, onion and any other vegetables you plan to add. When everything is chopped, throw it all together along with the fish, basil, salt and pepper.