Adapted from “The A16 Food + Wine Cookbook,” by Nate Summers and Shelley Lindgren (Ten Speed Press). Serves 2-3 as a main course, 4-6 as a side.
Ingredients
1/2 pound country bread
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 English (hothouse) cucumber
1 pound tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped (if you have salt-packed capers, soak for 30 minutes in several changes of cool water)
5 basil leaves, coarsely torn
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3/4 cup high-quality, olive oil-packed tuna, drained
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Tear the bread into large bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, toss the bread with about 1/2 cup of the olive oil, coating the bread evenly. Spread the pieces in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes, or just enough for the bread to turn slightly golden but not as crunchy as croutons. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Slice off a piece of cucumber and taste it. If the skin is bitter, peel the cucumber. Otherwise, keep the peel. Halve the cucumbers lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut into chunks about the same size as the tomatoes.
Place the tomatoes and cucumbers in a large bowl, add the capers and basil, and season with a pinch of salt. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and the vinegar over the mixture and toss thoroughly. Add the tuna and the bread and toss again just until incorporated.
Arrange the salad on a platter and serve immediately.
