Bread Salad with Tomatoes,
			   Onions, and Olives
	
                             (Panzanella)

Michele Anna Jordan (some variations by Charlotte Blackmer)
Kitchen Garden magazine

Serves 4 (doubles and triples nicely)

Dressing:

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2/3 cup olive oil (extra-virgin recommended)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 cups day-old Italian, sourdough, or country bread, in 1" cubes
2 to 2 1/2 cups tomatoes (chopped or cherry)
1 small red onion (diced) (note from CLB:  I often leave this out since
I have a friend who is allergic to onions.  It is okay without it.)
3 Tablespoons Italian parsley (minced)
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

(note from CLB:  I tend to use more mustard and more olives because I like
them a lot - I rarely bother to pit and slice the olives)

Salad greens for serving (optional)

Make the dressing by combining the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and
garlic in a bowl.  Whisk the olive oil in.  Add salt and pepper;  add a
little more mustard or vinegar if you want it a little sharper.

Put the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl and pour the dressing over
them.  Toss to coat evenly.  Let sit for 30 minutes or so.

(Note from CLB: if you are using diced tomatoes, you might want to keep
back some oof the dressing and add the tomatoes shortly after you 
add the salad dressing to the bread bits.  They exude delicious juice and
moisten the bread.  If you add all the dressing, the bread will get
soggy.)

To serve, add the tomatoes, onions, olives, and parsley to the bread cubes
and toss.  Serve on salad greens.

Variation:  Roasted red bell peppers, diced.

Variation:  Fry four slices of bacon.  Use 2 Tablespoons bacon fat and
enough olive oil to make 2/3 cup.  Crumble the bacon in the salad.