Panzanella by request

My friend Becki was telling me about a bread salad she had. This is a recipe for one that I like to toss together. The fun thing about salads is mixing it up, if you have a veggie that sounds good toss it in! If you want to go fancy with bread salad, here is a link to the bread salad served at San Francisco's famed Zuni Cafe.

1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup cucumber - peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 tablespoon chopped parsley

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons vinegar (you could use balsamic, I have an amazing champagne vinegar I recently bought which would lend a lighter flavor)

This is your base of ingredients, after that I would see what was hanging around! Little left over roasted chicken, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, experiment with extras, let me know how you do!

Pull apart or chop the bread into bite-size pieces.
In a salad bowl, combine the bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, garlic, basil, parsley and thyme. Add enough olive oil and vinegar to lightly coat, toss and serve. Toss in your extras.