500 g mature tomatoes

500 g Tuscan bread (hearty bread)

1 red onion

1 cucumber

15+ basil leaves

white wine vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

 

Cut the crusts off the stale bread and run the bread under cold water letting absorb fully like a sponge. Wring out the water and gently crumble the bread into very tiny pieces onto a wide dish, cover with a damp dish cloth and let it rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Thinly slice the onion and let it sit in ice water with a bit of vinegar for 20 - 30 minutes.

Slice the cucumbers and chop the tomatoes into big cubes. Toss with salt and let it sit until the tomatoes release some of their liquid.

Drain the onion and add it to the other vegetables.

Toss the vegetables with their liquid together with the bread and then season with salt and pepper (not too much salt since you added it above as well), a few drops of vinegar and abundant good quality extra virgin olive oil. It should be quite moist but not runny. Add the sweet basil and serve chilled.