- 8 thick slices of good bread, preferably a couple of days old
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- Extra virgin olive oil for bread
- Salt and pepper
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes
- 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Basil
- Optional: arugula, red onions
- Balsamic vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 shallot, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350, cut garlic clove in half.
2. Rub the garlic over the slices of bread.
3. Cut the bread into medium size cubes. Place in a bowl and toss with enough olive oil, salt and pepper to lightly coat the bread.
4. Place on a cookie sheet and toast until evenly browned and crisp. Remove from oven and cool. (Shake pan a couple times during baking. (My bread took about 1/2 hour.)
5. Dice the tomatoes and cucumbers.
6. In a large bowl, add toasted bread, tomatoes and cucumbers. Toss together with balsamic vinaigrette. Add torn basil, salt and pepper to taste.
