Recipe: Summer Bread Salad

• 6 cups crusty, country-style bread, torn into rough chunks (about one loaf)
• About 1/3 cup olive oil plus 2 Tbsp for drizzling
• 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks, or 1–2 pints cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 2 small, firm pickling cucumbers (or one Asian or European), diced or thickly sliced
• About ½ lb green beans, steamed or blanched until bright green, cut into one-inch pieces
• 1 bell pepper, any color, diced large
• 1 small red or other sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss bread cubes in the 1/3 cup of olive oil and bake or broil till lightly browned with darker edges, for about 2 minutes under the broiler or for 15–20 minutes in a 375-degree oven.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, season with the red wine vinegar and add the still-warm bread cubes. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

You may also add tuna, olives, cheese, potato cubes, additional beans such as cannellini or chickpeas, or any other summer vegetable that you like.

Serves 6–8