Stale bread is not only okay for this dish but preferable. You can make a similar dish (called fattoush and Middle Eastern in origin) using pita bread; make sure it’s nice and crunchy before tossing with the tomatoes and olive oil. Use ripe, flavorful tomatoes here. And add some chopped shallots or red onion to the mix if you like.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　About 1/2 pound crusty bread (slightly stale is fine)

　　1 garlic clove, cut in half

　　1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

　　2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or good-quality vinegar

　　2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

　　Salt and black pepper

　　1/4 cup or more roughly chopped fresh basil or parsley leaves

　　

Step 1

Rub the bread all over with the garlic and toast or grill until crunchy and lightly browned.

　　

Step 2

Cut or tear the bread into 1/2- to 1-inch cubes (no larger) and toss it with the remaining ingredients. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve within 15 minutes.

　　

Garlic Bread Salad with Tomatoes and Green Beans

Step 3

Trim about 1/2 pound green beans and cut them into 1/2-inch lengths. Drop into boiling salted water and cook until bright green and just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again, then toss into the salad.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.