Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad)

• 1 pound English cucumbers
• 1 pound sweet onions, (such as Vidalia, Walla Walla or Maui)
• Salt
• 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 5 medium)
• 1 pound coarse rustic or Italian-style bread, crusts removed, torn in large chunks and left to stale 1 week
• 1/2 cup torn basil leaves
• 6 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Freshly-ground black pepper

1. Peel cucumbers leaving some green skin in alternating strips; slice as thinly as possible.
2. Slice onions as thinly as possible.
3. In a colander, toss cucumber and onion slices with 2 teaspoons salt.
4. Weight with a plate and let drain 20 minutes.
5. Quarter, then thinly slice tomatoes.
6. In a large bowl of cold water soak staled bread just until it loses its firmness and becomes spongy, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
7. (If you have let your bread get stale for less than 2 days, just run it briefly under cold, running water.)
8. Using your hands, gently squeeze out water without compacting bread too much.
9. Tear into pieces about 1/2-inch wide and 3-inches long.
10. In a large bowl combine soaked bread, cucumbers and onions, tomatoes, basil, oil and vinegar.
11. Season with salt and pepper.
12. Serve immediately.

cucumbers, sweet onions, salt, tomatoes, bread, torn basil, extravirgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, freshlyground black pepper

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/panzanella-tuscan-bread-salad-recipe.html (may not work)