Middle Eastern Bread Salad With Mint, Peppers And Tomatoes

• Salt
• 1 hothouse cucumberpeeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch dice
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 scallions, green and white, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 2 large or 4 small loaves pita bread, toasted or stale, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon sumac (optional)
• Black olives (optional)

1. Salt the diced cucumber and let drain for 30 minutes.
2. Rinse under cold water and dry well.
3. Whisk half of the lemon juice with the garlic and olive oil in a bowl.
4. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
5. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, mint and cilantro.
6. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
7. Put the bread in a salad bowl.
8. Sprinkle with the remaining lemon juice and let stand for 5 minutes.
9. Add the salad to the bowl and mix well.
10. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
11. Sprinkle the sumac on top.
12. Garnish with black olives and serve immediately.

salt, hothouse, lemons, garlic, extravirgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, tomatoes, scallions, flat leaf parsley, mint, cilantro, loaves pita bread, sumac, black olives

Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/aspen-2005-middle-eastern-bread-salad-with-mint-peppers-and-tomatoes (may not work)