Origins of this dish go back to the sheep herders who while moving the sheep long distances had very little food - and that which was to be had was normally stale bread and the local vegetables found along their trails. This dish makes the best of both ingredients.
Ingredients:
Weights are approximate, this will make enough as a pasta dish for about 3-4 persons.
approx. 2 cups - hard bread - best to use bread with as few base ingredients as possible - flour, yeast, water is the best.
tomato - cut into cubes and take out excess juice and seeds
cucumber - peel and cut into little cubes
iceberg lettus - cleaned and cut into mouth size pieces
onion - cut into small pieces. Though many would want to leave this out, it was probably one of the few veggies that the herders were sure to find along the trail
basil in abundance, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt
Mix salad ingredients and basil together and dress lightly with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and salt. There is no right or wrong way to dress the salad, it is all done to taste. For example the Italians prefer more oil than vinegar - yet most others go a little heavier on the vinegar. By mixing the salad first with the dressing you don't risk the bread getting too dressed and thus a heavy flavour out of proportion with the rest of the salad.
Cut the bread in 2 - 3 inch cubes and soak the bread until it has absorbed the water (hint: don't let it absorb too much water - just enough that it is damp) - squeeze excess water out and crumb lightly into a bowl. Mix well with salad.
Some variations include adding tuna fish and or white navy beans - however the traditional recipe is very simple.
Serve immediately.
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