Chill the salad for at least ½ hour before serving it.
Serves 6 to 8
This green salad, the Tuscan brainstorm for using up yesterday’s bread, is unlike most others in that it can be made several hours ahead of time and will still be perfectly wonderful. Just toss it again shortly before serving. Serve it as a first course on its own or as part of an antipasto.
• 1 lb. romaine lettuce (1 large head or 2 smaller ones)
• 1 large cucumber
• 2 to 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato, cut in thin wedges
• 1 cup sliced radishes
• ½ lb. slightly stale French bread, cut in 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup olive oil
• ½ cup wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. basil
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• ½ tsp. salt
• fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese
1. Wash the lettuce, pat the leaves dry, and tear them into bite-sized pieces. Peel the cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise, seed it by scooping out center with a small spoon, and slice thinly.
2. Put the lettuce and cucumber in a large bowl along with the celery, tomato, radishes, bread cubes, and onions.
3. Put the oil, vinegar, basil, garlic, salt, and some pepper in the container of a blender and blend at high speed for about 1 minute. Pour the dressing over the salad, sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese, and toss the salad gently for several minutes. The bread will soak up a lot of the dressing. Taste and correct the seasoning with more salt and pepper, if desired.
