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Cut the bread slices, with crust on, into 1-inch pieces or cubesyou should have about 5 cups totaland put them in a large bowl.
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(If the pieces are not dry and almost crunchy, spread them on a baking sheet and heat it in a moderately low oven until the bread chunks are hard and crisp but not colored; let cool.)
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Whisk together the 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 cup cold water, sprinkle it all over the bread, and keep tossing the pieces till theyre evenly moistened.
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Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the cubes, and toss again.
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Put the sliced peppers, cucumber, and tomato in the bowl, and toss together with the bread.
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To make the dressing: Put the garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in the food processor or blender, and pulse to chop the garlic, scraping down the bowl as needed.
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Pack in the basil leaves, and pulse until they are coarsely chopped.
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With the motor running, pour in 5 tablespoons of the olive oil in a slow, steady stream to make an emulsified dressing.
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Drizzle the dressing over the bread and vegetables, and toss well.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
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Tear the chicory leaves into bite-sized pieces, and scatter them over the bread in the bowl.
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Drizzle the vinegar-oil dressing over the greens, and toss everything together well.
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As a final (optional) touch, if you have bottarga, shave or grate about a teaspoon of the dried roe over the top of the salad.
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Or chop anchovy fillets into small bits and scatter them all over.
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Serve on a platter or on separate plates.
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16
In Liguria, basil grows luxuriously in every garden and naturally plays an enormous role in the regions cuisine, as I discussed in the introduction.
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For this bread salad, where basil dressing is a major element, and for many other dishes in this chapter, I encourage you to find and use the freshest, most flavorful basil that you can.
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Though we dont have the good fortune of Ligurian cooks, most of whom can pluck sprigs of intensely flavored, small-leaved basil right from a window box or patio planter, we Americans now have more fresh basil available to us than ever before.
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Fine food and farmers markets (in season) may have sweet basil for cooking in different varieties, colors, and even nuances of flavor.
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For these Ligurian dishes, look for a classic pesto variety like small-to-medium-leaf Genovese basil.
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But other types will be fine, too.
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Try giant-leaved basil (its great for wrapping around fish fillets and stuffing), or purple basil.
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Basils with distinctive aromas like lemon, mint, and anise are great to cook with; so is spicy Thai or Vietnamese basil.
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Even better, grow your own fresh basil, perhaps just a small pot on the windowsill.
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It will provide you with great flavor for many dishes, especially if you snip back the new shoots when they have four or five bright leaves.
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Just keep the plant from flowering and it will last for months.
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Garden centers and specialty seed companies sell more varieties of Italian basil than even I knew existed.
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But an ordinary sweet-basil plant like the ones I see in the supermarket will grow well with a bit of attention.
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And whether you grow your own or buy it, I recommend highly that in late summer and fall, or whenever fine fresh basil is abundant in your area, you should make a big batch of basil pesto in the food processorjust fresh herb leaves and extra-virgin olive oil, nothing elseand freeze it in ice-cube trays.
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30
Once it is frozen, pop the cubes out and wrap them in a bit of plastic, then seal the batch in giant ziplock bags.
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Protected from freezer burn, your basil-pesto cubes will provide bursts of fresh flavor in soups, tomato sauces, and vegetable pasta sauces all year long!
