Panzanella

Food has been an interesting journey here. While yes, there are restaurants galore with fantastic pastas and pizza so phenomenal it'll make you dance right there in the street, eating back at the house has had a few challenges around August market hours and traveling distance to market.

When I make panzanella or any meal back home, I very often purchase the ingredients specifically for that dish. Here I'm learning that a lot of my meals at home are more a result of what is in the kitchen. 

I'll introduce you to la bicicletta soon--she's become a dear friend to me in the past week.  I was a bit leery of  riding a bike here because it seems to be a little bit of a death wish to ride on these roads. As the days passed though, I grew tired of walking far distances all the time so la bicicletta and I are becoming good friends despite some very close calls.  Even with transportation becoming a bit faster with la bicicletta, every ingredient, every food item and every beverage requires a lengthy little trip to the market which as it turns out, can be closed without warning.  I thought half the stores in Lucca were perpetually closed but it's interesting to see ones that have had their doors closed suddenly open back up.  Yes, I know it's August, but it still surprises me that stores are just closed at various times.

Then there's the Sunday closure that's pretty different from my normal 24x7 world.  I arrived in Lucca on a Saturday so spent my very first day in scurry to stock up on some food before Sunday's closures, probably quite similar to the Hebrews collecting manna for the Sabbath.  I also have less than a square foot of refrigerator space.  To go from my big 'ole American gingantua fridge to less than a square foot requires new tactics and creativity. 

When you have to walk or ride anywhere to pick up more bread or veggies, you definitely think through using what you have in the kitchen.  I've gone from girl who could easily throw away 1/4 of what's in her fridge, to one who's thrown away practically nothing recently. Two day old bread, tomatoes and just some awesome ingredients like regional Lucchese olive oil, fleur de sel, crema di balsamico (balsamic reduction) a bit of garlic and onion and of course fresh basil equals panzanella.  I'm guessing day old bread is exactly how panzanella came to be in the first place. 

Italian bread is awesome on the first day.  On the second day it's okay and on the third, not so much.   Chopped up, it's ready to absorb all those yummy fresh tomato juices. 

Panzanella as many of you already know,  doesn't really require a recipe and has a zillion alterations.  I've added onions to mine but you can skip them.  I've also added capers and cukes in the past which are pretty fantastic.  Panzenella is really about choosing fresh produce and quality ingredients.  Lucca is known for their olive oil and we all know olive oil makes everything better. 

While panzanella uses up that bread you might otherwise toss out, I think it's presentation and flavors make it a main course star. 

Panzanella

2 c chopped day old bread

3 c chopped tomatoes

1 garlic clove minced

1/4 onion sliced thinly (optional)

1/4 c basil, torn into small pieces

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

balsamic reduction or glaze for topping

1. Place bread in large bowl.  
2. Add tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil.  
3. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss well and let sit for 10 mins
4. Serve topped with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. 

Parmesan Kale Salad

The longer I've been away from the blog, the harder it is to get back on here.  Same excuse as always...it's been crazy busy around these parts.

Denver has had its typical pre-spring weather....snow, 70 degrees, snow, sunshine, melted snow, 70 degrees.  I have to admit that I'm actually a fan of changing weather....the variety of the 4 seasons is precisely what I missed so much when I lived in Vegas for a year.

The sneak previews of spring warmth just call out for a nice big salad for dinner.  I never thought it would be a Kale salad in my house though.

For someone who adores produce so much, it hurts a little to admit I don't like Kale.  I've tried it in salads, in my smoothies and always, yuck, yuck, yuck.  I think it reminds me of all the times I had to break down the salad bar when I worked at a restaurant in high school.  We'd save the decorative Kale full of slop to decorate the salad bar the next day.  Yum.

My friend invited me to meet her for lunch at True Food Kitchen in Cherry Creek a few weekends ago.  Other friends had told me that True Food could turn me into a Kale lover...I was so not convinced. Aside from the little fact that parking in Cherry Creek is about as fun as a trip to the dentist,  I'd have to say that I loved True Food and their healthy whole foods menu.  The carrot ginger lemonade was pretty awesome too.

And as it turns out, my friends were right.  I will eat kale now if I dress it exactly like True Food's Tuscan Kale salad.  Apparently, kale salad needs to be massaged to soften it up.  Who knew?

I have visions of high school here. 

The dressing is a pretty basic lemon garlic vinaigrette.  Simple and yummy.  I get so excited when food is simple and pure. 

The secret here is to toss.  Assertively and aggressively.  I used the tongs to squeeze and mash as much as possible.  Kale is pretty tough stuff.  

After about 1/2 hour, the dressing breaks down the kale to a tender lemony garlic delight.  It still tastes like kale, but good kale.   

The best part of this salad is that it refrigerates well which makes a perfect weekday office lunch.  What other green salad can you dress and pack away in the fridge only to find it the next day exactly as you left it?  I'm a bit of a convert. 

Parmesan Kale Salad

adapted from Whole Living

Ingredients
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 bunch kale, ribs removed and leaves sliced into 1/4-inch shreds
1 tbsp homemade garlic croutons, crushed

1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

1. Add lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper flakes. 
2. Add kale to a large bowl, top with dressing and toss well to coat.   Let sit at room temperature for 10 to 30 minutes tossing periodically.  
3. Add grated cheese and breadcrumbs and toss before serving.

Wheat Berry Salad with Pineapple and Cranberries

 The first time I tried wheat berries I thought they were just another new grain to experiment with in the kitchen.  I loved their chewy texture and what I assumed could only be their whole grain goodness.  Exotic right?  I was a bit embarassed to realize I couldn't put one and one together.   Turns out wheat berries are just the  whole grain form of wheat before any processing occurs.  Duh right? They look like thick, short grains — similar to brown rice and they're packed with fiber and goodness since the wheat still retains the germ and bran and other goodness.  

Ten by Sheila Lukins is a fun concept for a cookbook. Lukins (author of the Silver Palate Cookbook) compiles what she considers to be the 10 best recipes in various categories including dips, veggie soups, roasts, steaks, burgers, ribs, chicken, stews, fish, leafy salads, vegetables, pastas, grains etc.  There is even a category specifically dedicated to corn and to asparagus--10 asparagus recipes is happiness indeed.  The pictures are few and far between which makes it hard to pick up unless you are in a "reading" mood rather than a "browsing" mood but the recipes I've made so far have all been pretty fantastic.  

This recipe combines the chewiness of the wheat berry with the sweetness of pineapple and cranberries and the clean flavors of cukes and parsley.  I say that because it sounds like something I should say but confession time....I do not think parsley tastes clean or good.  I feel guilty because you always see cooks throwing fresh parsley on everything.  It's kind of required if you cook it seems.  

When I make this again, I'd opt for a bit of mint and a little bit of green onion to balance the sweetness. I adapted the recipe by reducing the sweetness (pineapple and cranberries) and increasing the cukes and wheat berries a bit. It was still a little sweet for me.  I think the green onion would add the perfect counter to the sweetness.

Parsley is lovely to look at though. 

Wheat Berry Salad with Pineapple and Cranberries

Adapted from Ten by Sheila Lukins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c wheat berries

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup diced hothouse cucumber

3/4 cup diced pineapple

1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries

2 tbsp chopped parsley

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Lettuce for serving

Directions:

1. Rinse wheat berries in colander.  Drain and add to a large bowl and cover with cold water by at least a couple of inches.  Let soak overnight. 
2. Drain wheat berries in colander thoroughly.  Transfer to a large pot, cover with water by three inches and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered until wheat berries begin to soften, about 15 minutes. 
3. Add a 1/2 tsp salt, and cook uncovered until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse with  cold water.  Let drain thoroughly.
4. Add pineapple, cukes, cranberries and wheat berries to a large bowl. 
5. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil and parsley and drizzle over wheat berries bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss and let stand for 20 mins at room temp before serving on a bed of lettuce. 

Greek Panzanella

Summer produce season is finally here.  Sigh of contentment here.  I know it's early in the season but I get so excited when I see those weekend farmers markets popping up.

"I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree tomato".

All those tomatoes made me think greek salad.   I love the saltiness of both the olives and the feta paired with the sweetness of tomatoes and roasted peppers with just that bite that comes from onion.  Greek salad is pretty perfect. 

Unfortunately when you a produce hoarder like me, you have more than enough ingredients after you have your basic salad.  I started thinking greek quinoa of some sort, and then spied with my little eye, a little french boule that I bought intending to make french toast but just never got around to.  Stale bread screams panzanella doesn't it?

I made it all the way through the chopped veggies when I started wondering if I should use a regular 'ole greek salad vinaigrette or if greek panzanella called for something a bit schmancier.  A quick flip through some cookbooks and wouldn't you know, Barefoot Contessa actually had a Greek Panzanella.  Maybe I'd stored it in my mind once upon a time as a "must make" recipe.  The veggies were slightly different and I really like roasted peppers in greek salad, but I opted to use her vinaigrette.  Glad I did--perfect amount of tang, salt and loved the dijon addition. 

Summer activities and festivals are in full swing here in the Mile High City.  One of my favorite annual events is the Chalk Art Festival in Larimer Square and I always seem to go with the same friend.  Funny how you get in a groove with events.   I was a little disappointed that there weren't more of those "wow" 3D perspective drawings, but still admired the vibrant colors and beauty and the amount of effort that goes into each one of these.   I can't begin to comprehend the amount of dedication it took to spend hours upon hours on the hot street coloring and shading and even using little vacuums to suck up the chalk dust to create these fun drawings.

Yes, I acclimated back to Denver very nicely and do think 85 degrees is a really hot day. 

Summertime on a plate.

Greek Panzanella

adapted from How Easy is That by Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp olive oil

2 large tomatoes diced
2 persian cucumbers (about 1 cup)
1 red bell pepper roasted, peeled and diced
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1/3 cup finely diced or crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup Kalamata olives pitted and cut into quarters

For the vinaigrette:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes taking care not to burn garlic.
3. Drizzle garlic oil over bread cubes and toss to coat.  Pour onto baking sheet in  a single layer and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Use a spatula to turn bread cubes at least once while baking. You can prepare up to this point a few days in advance.  Store croutons in airtight container until ready to use. 
4. Place tomatoes, cucumber, roasted red pepper and red onion in a large bowl.
5. For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion. 
6. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. 
7. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. 
8. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

Persimmon and Pomegranate Fruit Salad

I have a thing for persimmons.  A love affair really.  If I lived far from an asian grocer, I'd probably have less of a love affair...I've seen persimmons at $1.50-2.00 EACH at the grocery store during the fall months.  What kills me about that is that in the fall these same persimmons can be purchased at the asian grocery for $ 1....a pound.  That's just crazy pricing difference.

Persimmons are hard to explain if you've never had one.  I like the round tomato shaped ones because they are ready to eat when crisp and then ripen into some even sweeter treat.  They never seem to last to the super soft sweet phase in my house though regardless of how much I buy because I eat them nonstop-- a shame really because I have tons of recipes that call for fully ripened persimmons.

And while I was picking up my weekly persimmon stash I came across some pomegranates at the asian grocer for $.69 a lb.  Crazy right?  So fully stocked on pomegranates and persimmons, I decided to throw together a fruit salad unlike regular 'ole fruit salads.  

Not really a recipe I know, but fruit sure is fantastic to look at.  Is there anything sexier than fresh produce?  

Persimmon and Pomegranate Fruit Salad

3 crisp persimmons

1 half small papaya

1 pomegranate

1 small banana

1 cup orange juice

1/2 lime

1. Cook OJ over medium high heat until reduced by half (could probably use concentrate really but I never have that around)  Add juice of half a lime.  Allow to cool.  If you like your food sweeter, you could add some honey as well.

2.  Dice banana and add to OJ and coat to prevent bananas from browning

3. Dice remaining fruit, pour bananas and OJ over and toss

Cookbook # 78 Bar Americain; Chopped Apple Salad

Where does the work week go?  It seems like one day you're rolling over in bed on a Monday morning wondering how the weekend went by so quickly, and the next day, it's the end of the week and it's time to get ready for a couple of days away from the office.  I can't believe tomorrow is Friday already, but I am definitely not complaining.

The weeknights go by in the same frenzied blur as the weekdays, but every once in awhile, I feel a little ambition to crack open a cookbook...a new cookbook in this case.  Yes, it is the newest Bobby Flay cookbook, Bar Americain.  It's not that I intend to pick up these new cookbooks, it's just that I belong to The Good Cook cookbook club.  It's one of those clubs where you get a bunch of books free and then agree to buy a book or two in the next year.  It usually turns out the be a phenomenal deal for a cookbook lover like myself...4 books up front for $1 plus free shipping (I got Dorie Greenspans French cookbook for just $1!) I buy one at half price when I sign up, and I have just one more cookbook to buy in the next year.  I do that easily.  But I digress...the book club just offered up cookbooks at $10 and I can't resist Bobby Flay cookbooks as it is, let alone newly released $10 cookbooks.

Oh is this cookbook just yummy...Roasted Corn Soup, Cauliflower and Goat Cheese Gratin, Smoked Chicken Pot Pie with Sweet Potato Crust, Brooklyn Hash Browns, Blackberry Souffle and Thin Apple Tart just to name a few. Bobby is a genius.  Imagine the pain when my coworker asked if I went  to the Bobby Flay book signing when he was at one of our properties a couple of weeks ago.  That's why you should read memos really.

For a weeknight meal, I went with two of the easier recipes.  In this case though, easy does not mean less flavor....grilled cheese with cheddar, goat cheese, bacon and green tomato and a chopped apple salad with pomegranate vinaigrette.  The sandwich was a great combo of salty bacon and sweet green tomato with melty cheese to pull it all together. And the salad...I think toasted nuts in salad are just heavenly.  Add into that the sweet popping crunch of pomegranate seeds and tart apples and the salad is a perfect light and clean weeknight dinner.

Chopped Apple Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Adapted from Bar Americain by Bobby Flay

Ingredients

Pomegranate Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey, or more to taste
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

• 6 apples cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 cups baby spinach, sliced
• 2 heads endive, thinly sliced
• 1 cup toasted sliced almonds
• 3/4 pound blue cheese, crumbled 
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 
  

For the vinaigrette:

Directions

Whisk together the pomegranate molasses, vinegar, mustard, honey and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.

For the salad:

Combine the apples, spinach, endive, walnuts and blue cheese and half the pomegranate seeds in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat.  Serve and sprinkle remaining pomegranate seeds on top.

Barefoot Contessa Chinese Chicken Salad

Forgive this post with relatively few words....it's just one of those lazy Saturday mornings.  

I love this recipe from Barefoot Contessa Parties and not just because I love Barefoot Contessa so much.  Ok, maybe just a little because I love Barefoot Contessa so much.  But the recipe itself is easy,  refrigerates well, and is perfect for preparing ahead of time and for work lunches.  I usually add a full pound of asparagus since I love veggies, and I change the proportions in the dressing a bit--less sesame oil, less oil, more ginger and only natural PB  since the emulsifiers in regular PB makes dressings kind of  glumpy.  Yes glumpy.  The below proportions are what I use, but dressing is pretty flexible....change it up a bit to your preferences. 

Chinese Chicken Salad

adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• Olive Oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
• 2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub with the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. 
3. Roast for 20- to 30 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
4. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces.
5. Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes until crisp-tender. 
6. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. 
7. Cut the peppers in strips about the size of the asparagus pieces.
8. Combine the cut chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.
9. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. 
10. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. 
11. Serve room temperature (or even cold).

BLT Wedge with Yogurt Dressing

Bacon...yum.  Tomatoes...yum.  Fresh sourdough...oh my.   I probably don't have to convince you though...it's difficult to find someone that doesn't love BLTs, because bacon is the best.  I've heard quite a few vegetarians claim that bacon is the only smell that tempts them to become carnivorous.  And as staunchly anti-pork as I say I am...I love bacon.  Super crispy, well done, salty bacon.  Yum. 

BLTs are perfect and simple as a meal, but as a salad, you can have it before or with any meal.  I made a yogurt based dressing only because I don't really like mayo (yes, I've been told it's weird) but you could substitute mayo for some of the yogurt in the dressing for a more traditional BLT flavor. 

And since I think that toasty bread is an essential flavor in the BLT, I've topped my salad with some toasted breadcrumbs.  Not a lot, but just enough to remind you that the salad is inspired by the sandwich.

BLT Wedges

1 head iceberg lettuce

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes

1 lb bacon

yogurt dressing

garlic toasted breadcrumbs

Yogurt Dressing

• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• drizzle of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 
• 1 pinch of salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together dressing ingredients

Garlic Toasted Breadcrumbs

• 2-3 slices fresh sourdough
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced

1. Pulse bread in food processor until fine crumb
2. Heat olive oil over med heat.  Cook garlic in oil for 1-2 minutes taking care not to burn
3. Add bread crumbs and cook for 2-4 minutes or until crumbs are toasted.

Directions:

1. Cook bacon until crisp.  Drain on paper towels and let cool.  Crumble into small pieces.
2. Cut lettuce into wedges
3. Cut tomatoes in half
4. Prepare dressing and breadcrumbs
5. To serve, place lettuce, tomatoes and crumbled bacon on plate.  Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Caprese Salad with Peaches

I know, a recipe for caprese salad is hardly the newest concept out there, and it's so easy, no recipe is really needed.  However, last week on a trip to Whole Foods to grab some lunch, I came across a different twist on the caprese salad--the addition of fresh apricots.  That combination of fresh mozarella, tomatoes, basil and sweet apricots was quite possibly the perfect flavor combination.  Of course, I had to give it a try at home with some super fresh peaches I picked up at the farmer's market. The sweetness of fruit paired with the creaminess of the mozarella, the tartness of the balsalmic reduction,  the bite of freshly ground pepper, the bit of freshly sprinkled sea salt and the clean fresh taste of basil....definitely a fan.  Don't forget a bit of olive oil drizzled over the top.

For balsalmic reduction, you just boil a bottle of balsalmic vinegar down to about 1/4 of it's original volume or until it's a thick sweet and slightly tart syrup...about 15 minutes on medium high.  It keeps in the fridge for months.

Tyler Florence's Panzanella

Oh summer produce...I walk the market aisles and giggle with glee.  My current obsession is with Trader Joe's tomatoes...probably because I'm a tomato fiend.  One of my very favorite sandwiches ever is just two slices of ciabatta toasted, thick slices of vine ripened tomatoes, salt, pepper and olive oil.  Sounds a bit plain I'm sure, but it's like eating bruschetta.  I'd take that over a club sandwich any day. 

So while my tomato greediness knows no limits, I knew that panzanella would be the perfect way to kick off the produce season....it's like a tomato sandwich in salad form with a few extra goodies thrown in.  And who better to turn to for a variation than my dream boyfriend Tyler Florence.  I say that, but then I took his variations like celery leaves and anchovies, and left them out.  Maybe this is just "plain 'ole panzanella."  Okay by me.

Cukes are a bit weird to me.  When they are good and not the least bit bitter, I could eat them like candy.  Just a hint of bitterness though and I actually spit them right out...it's like playing the lottery each time.  I've found though that Kirbys or Persian cukes (or any of the smaller variations) tend to be safe.  And I love that extra crispness that they seem to have over regular grocery store cukes.

Ah, and now the bread.  My achilles heel.  What I love about panzanella is that it uses up that leftover and slightly dry bread you bought yesterday on a whim because you couldn't pass up the temptation of that freshly baked smell.   No?  Just me?  Well, I don't deny it. In my house we happened to have a full french loaf that my mother purchased at Sam's which actually has a delightful crust and chewy texture, and the remainder of the garlic ciabatta I picked up. You would think that would be enough yes?

Yeah, not so much.  That same absentmindeness that causes me to lose things all the time, also causes me to completely forget that I put something in the oven once that door is shut.  It's like a magic memory veil--if I don't set the timer I almost never remember there are items baking away in the oven.  I present exhibit A. 

Effort number two was not even photographable because it set off my smoke detectors and I let the water run over the blackened remnants of my former ciabatta while I stood on a stool and fanned the detector.  "Hi neighbors.  My name is Mary and I set off the smoke detectors almost every time I bake.  You'll enjoy living near me."  With two burned batches and no more bread I had to turn to the only bread like item I had left--whole wheat and flax sandwich thins.  Try and imagine that these are big fat crisp croutons instead.

All in all, it wasn't bad.  I'm not going to lie--I missed those big fat ciabatta bread pieces, but luckily, panzanella has such great flavors that as long as the tomatoes are ripe and flavorful, you can make a passable salad. 

Panzanella adapted from Tyler Florence’s Eat This Book

1  loaf of round Tuscan bread, french loaf or ciabatta, cubed
Extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1/2 a lemon, or as needed

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1 lb cherry or baby heirlooms

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

4 kirby's chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 bunch of basil, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Drizzle bread cubes with about 1/4 cup of olive oil.
2. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and back until the bread begins to brown, about 10 minutes.
3. While the bread is toasting make the dressing: chop garlic and place in large mixing bowl.  Add the lemon juice,  oil, salt, pepper, and stir together.
4. Add  tomatoes, cucumbers, capers, basil, and onion; gently stir. Taste for seasoning.
5. Finally, add the toasted bread and toss it all together.
6. Taste it and season one last time with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.