Simple Summer Panzanella

• Salad
• 6 Heirloom tomatoes- medium size, whatever kind you have on hand
• 3 Handfulls of sweet smaller tomatoes ( I used a small yellow pear shaped variety)
• 1/4 Red Onion- Finely Diced
• 1/2 English Cucumber
• 3 pinches Maldon Seat Salt or similar
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 7 Fresh Medium Sized Basil Leaves + a few small ones for garnish
• Fresh Croutons
• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Garlic Cloves- smashed with skins still on
• Course Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
• 10 Slices of Ciabatta bread or any rustic/crusty loaf of bread you have available.

1. Cut the tomatoes, onion, and cucumber into bite size pieces. I like mine to be a little chunkier than bite size but it is all about mouth-feel. I do recommend keeping the onion slices smaller or it can be a bit overwhelming. For the cherry tomatoes, just slice them in half.
2. Put all above ingredients in a bowl and season with Maldon Sea Salt, kosher salt, and pepper to taste.
3. Pour in the vinegar and olive oil. Tear with your hands, the basil leaves, bruising the leaves as you go. Mix everything together and let marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes. I let mine marinate for 1 hour while I prepared the rest of my dinner. Give it a stir every 10 minutes or so.
4. Once the salad has marinated you just need to make the croutons, portion them into individual bowls, and then spoon the salad over top. I also like to spoon out some of the balsamic/olive oil prior to serving as I prefer my salad with a little less liquid. Sprinkle some of the baby basil leaves on top to finish and a little Maldon Sea Salt to taste.
5. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Put in the smashed garlic cloves and press down to release their juices.
6. Tear the slices of Ciabatta Bread into hearty bite-sized pieces.
7. Once the pan starts to get hot and emits a little hint of smoke, add the bread. Toss to coat in the oil. Toss/stir frequently to avoid any burning.
8. Let cook for approx. 3 minutes. Remove the garlic, add the rest of the oil, and continue to stir. Season with a generous pinch of salt and some fresh ground black pepper. Let cook until the bread browns and becomes crunchy under the weight of your spoon, approximately 5 minutes. If your pan starts to dry out, add a little more oil.
9. Remove from the heat and portion into your salad bowls. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed.

salad, tomatoes, red, cucumber, salt, kosher salt, ground black pepper, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, basil, fresh croutons, olive oil, garlic, salt, bread

Taken from food52.com/recipes/5997-simple-summer-panzanella (may not work)