Panzanella (Tuscan bread and tomato salad, flavored with basil)

Half a loaf of coarse, country-style Italian bread, preferably 2 or 3 days old (see note)
Water
1 medium red onion, sliced very thinly
3 large beefsteak tomatoes
About 20 large leaves of fresh basil (1/2 cup when chopped)
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Nutritional Information
- Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
  355 calories; 28 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 733 milligrams sodium

4 to 6 servings

Cut the crusts off the bread, and cut the bread into chunks. Place in a bowl and cover with water. Leave for 15 minutes. Then drain, and squeeze the bread dry between your hands. Tear the bread into rough chunks, and place in a large salad bowl. You should have at least 2 cups of torn bread pieces.
Add thinly sliced onion to the bread and mix well. Cut the tomatoes into large bite-size chunks and add to the bowl. Chop the basil, add it, and then mix the contents of the bowl well.
In a separate small bowl, place the salt. Mash the clove of garlic with a knife blade, chop it roughly and add to the salt. Using the back of a spoon, crush the garlic in the salt to form a smooth paste. Add oil and vinegar and mix well.
Add the dressing to the salad, and mix together very well. Set aside, covered, in a cool place for an hour or longer to develop flavors.

This dish should be made with a bread that has a hard crust and a coarse texture. Any other kind becomes soft and mushy, and the salad loses all character. An excellent bread for panzanella is the pane toscano in Giuliano Bugialli’s ”Fine Art of Italian Cooking.” Ideally, the bread should be stale, but you can cheat with fresh bread if you dry it out for about 30 minutes in a 250-degree oven.

30 minutes