8 slices of 1-2 day-old Italian bread l 1/3 lbs. ripe tomatoes, diced 1 large white onion, thinly sliced extra-virgin olive oil white vinegar handful of basil cut into strips 1 bell pepper salt pepper
Preparation
Soak the slices of bread in water, making sure they are not soggy, and keep their shape. Squeeze out excess water and place in a large serving dish. Make a salad with the tomatoes, onion, oil, pepper, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss and spread over the bread, drizzle with more olive oil, add a few basil leaves and keep cool until ready to serve. There are several variations to this, and each one is claimed to be the original by its author. Whatever the case, they all contain the same basic ingredients: bread, tomatoes, other vegetables and olive oil.