Recipe of the Week: Panzanella Salad

This is a FANTASTIC salad for company! Make this salad when tomatoes are in season, or when you can get decent ones at the grocery store. Not really a salad that all kids will love, but definitely a winner for adults, and it looks really beautiful! Salad has very little dressing, so keeps well and tasted even BETTER the next day.
Panzanella Salad

INGREDIENTS
6 c day old Italian bread, torn into bite sized pieces
1/3 c olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
4 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
3/4 c sliced red onion
2 handfuls fresh spinach
basil to taste
1/2 c pitted and halved green olives
1 c mozzarella cheese, cut into bite-size pieces

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a large bowl, toss bread with 1/3 c olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Lay bread on a baking sheet and toast in oven until golden, about 7-10 minutes; allow to cool slightly.
3. While the bread is in the oven, whisk together 1/2 c of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Gently toss together the bread, tomatoes, onion, basil, olives, and mozzarella cheese. Toss with the vinegarette and let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!