bread and tomato salad

Tomatoes, flavour wise are never better than they are right now. This is a great use for them in season, a salad of bright flavours, quite raw and punchy. Don't hold back on anything but the very best olive oil and lively basil, make and eat without delay. 

 

Bread and tomato salad

 

Serves 4

 

250g open textured bread such as ciabatta

600g ripe and juicy tomatoes

1 small cucumber

1 fresh, new clove garlic

1 red or yellow pepper

1 large bunch basil

1 handful olives

8 anchovy fillets

150ml green and peppery olive oil

1 tblsp red wine vinegar

 

Set the oven at 180 c/gas 4. Slice the bread thickly - the pieces should be about 1 cm thick - and lay them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle each piece very lightly with olive oil then bake them for about 15 minutes, till they are lightly crisp.

 

Slice the tomatoes, but don't be tempted to peel or seed them. Put them in a large serving bowl. Peel and seed the cucumber and cut it into rough chunks, then add to the tomato.

 

Finely chop the garlic, cut the pepper into small dice and add both to the tomatoes. Tear the basil leaves from their stalks then add them to the bowl. Rinse the anchovies, then mix them in with the salad.

 

Put the oil and vinegar into a small dish, season it with salt, I think you can be quite generous here, and some black pepper. Toss the dressing, bread and salad gently together and then add the pieces of toasted bread. Eat before the bread gets too soggy.