Gazpacho Salad

[Kitchen Witch]

GAZPACHO SALAD

1/2 large loaf plain country-style bread, cut into large cubes
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1/4 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt combined with 2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 medium red onion, diced
4 green onions, minced
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and diced

For garlic-jalapeño dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 canned minced jalapeño chiles
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Pinch of salt
Juice and grated zest of 1 large lemon
2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard
Dash of Tabasco sauce

For garnish:
1 ripe avocado, chopped
1 cup black olives, coarsely chopped or halved
1/4 cup mixed chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley and cilantro

In a food processor, grind bread cubes with cilantro and parsley until medium crumbs are formed. Set aside.

Place tomatoes in a sieve over sink to drain. Sprinkle with half the salt and vinegar. Let drain while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Place cucumbers on several thicknesses of paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with remaining salt and vinegar. Let stand at least 5 minutes, then blot dry with paper towels.

Combine red onion, green onion and bell peppers in a bowl. Toss to evenly mix.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for dressing and whisk to blend.

In a deep glass trifle bowl, place 3/4 of the bread crumbs in the bottom. Next layer a third of the tomatoes, a third of the onion-and-peppers mixture, a third of the cucumbers, then spread with a third of the dressing. Repeat 2 more times, ending with a layer of the remaining bread crumbs on top of the dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 6 hours until serving.

Just before serving, garnish top with diced avocado, chopped black olives, and some parsley and cilantro. Serves 8.