Summer Panzanella

Summer Panzanella
from Moosewood Simple Suppers

1/2 loaf of crusty French or Italian bread
4 tomatoes
1 large ball of fresh mozarrella (about 5 ounces)
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup pitted olives [I used kalamata olives]
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or cider vinegar [I used balsamic]
1 tablespoon olive oil [It really should be extra-virgin here, I think, because the flavor adds a lot]
salt and pepper
1) Preheat the oven to 350. Cut the bread in half lengthwise and place in the oven until crisp, 5 to 10 minutes
2) Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients and place them in a serving bowl: Cut the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella into 1/2 inch cubes [I just hacked them up] (about 4 cups of tomatoes and 1 cup of mozzarella), peel and thinly slice the red onion [again, I just chopped it], cut the basil leaves into thin strips and chop the olives. Add the vinegar and oil to hte bowl and toss well.
3) Cut the toasted bread into cubes (7 to 8 cups). Add the bread cubes to the bowl and toss well. Let the salad sit for at least 10 minutes before serving, to allow the bread to soak up some of the juices. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4.