2 or 3 large (1½ pounds) very fresh tomatoes
2 or 3 Persian cucumbers
1 french bread (a “baton”)
1 lemon
oil from a jar of anchovies
prepared (Dijon) mustard
1 clove garlic,
about ¾ cup olive oil
⅓ of a shallot
6 to 10 stems of flat (Italian) parsley
Cut
- 2 or 3 large (1½ pounds) very fresh tomatoes (heirloom in a mix of colors is nice) into ¾- to 1-inch chunks
- 2 or 3 Persian cucumbers, cut into similar-sized chunks
and place in a non-reactive colander. Place the colander over or in a large bowl and sprinkle with
- 1½ tsp salt
Let stand 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut
- 1 french bread (a “baton,” not a thick loaf)
into ¾- or 1-inch cubes. With a baton, every piece will have some crust. Place the pieces in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in a 200º F oven for 10 minutes. The pieces will be dry but not toasted.
Grate the peel from
- 1 lemon
and reserve the peel. Juice the lemon into a large salad bowl. When the 30 minutes have elapsed, add the tomato juice and the grated lemon peel to the lemon juice. Add
- 2 tsp oil from a jar of anchovies
- ¼ tsp prepared (Dijon) mustard
- 1 clove garlic, very finely minced
Add
- olive oil as needed (about ¾ cup)
to make a smooth salad dressing. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
Reserve half the dressing and toss the bread cubes in the salad bowl. Wait 5-10 minutes. Add the tomato and cucumber pieces and
- ¼ to ⅓ of a shallot, cut into very thin slices and broken into rings
- 20 to 30 flat (Italian) parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Add most of the reserved dressing and toss. Serve immediately.