Panzanella (Italian bread salad) (vegan)

The ultimate savory treat to have in summer, a Panzanella is more than a salad, but not quite lunch, a delicate combination of tomatoes, plenty of good olive oil, some balsamic vinegar, cucumbers and crusty bread to soak up all the juices. Simple and delicious and perfect for summer, the Italian way. 
There are plenty of spin-offs being made and enjoyed on the classic combo, but first you must try and love the basic version before we can move on to more complicated or composite panzanellas. Enjoy :)
Recipe source: many, an example here. 

Last year: Red beans and rice (Creole Louisiana version).
Two years ago: Smoked trout, fennel, apple and beet salad.
Three years ago: Garlic soup with chorizo and mustard (Czech).
Four years ago: Cream liquor cocktail, Green apple and peanut butter muffins and Brie, walnut and caraway salad.




Ingredients (serves 2):

• 150-200 g crusty peasant-style bread (I used half of a multi-seed rye baguette)
• 300 tomatoes
• 1 small cucumber (75-100 g)
• a few rucola or basil leaves, lightly chopped (optional)
• a wedge of red onion, chopped (optional)
• 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon red balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Start with the bread. The better the bread is, the better the salad will be, so invest in the best quality and the crustiest bread you can find. Chop it into pieces or large cubes:

Chop the tomatoes and cucumber and put them in a large salad bowl, over the bread.

Add the red onion and basil or rucola, if using (try not to skip at least one of them). Also add the minced garlic and mix well. Drizzle with the oil and vinegar and mix again. Let the bread soak up for 5 minutes or so, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

It's ready to serve, dig in! 

Note: Don't let it sit for too long before serving though, if the bread gets too soggy it will lose much of its charm.