Recipe

This classic summer salad from Tuscany transforms stale, hard bread into a flavorful dish by soaking up the essence of tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil, becoming soft and delicious. Your Geedel food chopper quickly chops all the juicy tomatoes and cucumbers, and with its spinning function, skillfully manages moisture—retaining flavor while controlling excess liquid—perfectly balancing the salad's texture.

Ingredients:

300g day-old rustic bread (such as ciabatta), torn into bite-sized pieces  

500g ripe, juicy tomatoes (such as beefsteak tomatoes)  

1 cucumber  

½ red onion  

Handful of fresh basil leaves  

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil  

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar  

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed  

Salt and black pepper  

Instructions:  

1. Prepare the bread and vegetables:  

   Lightly toast the bread pieces if desired for extra crunch. Cut the tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion into large chunks.  

   Using the Geedel manual food chopper with the chopping blade, rotate the handle to cut the tomatoes and cucumber into uneven, rustic chunks. Finely chop the red onion separately.

2. Key step: partial dehydration:

   Place the chopped tomatoes and cucumber in the salad spinner basket. Close the lid tightly and turn the handle at a moderate speed for about 30 seconds. This step does not completely dry them, but removes excess free moisture that could make the salad soggy, while also concentrating the flavor.

3. Make the simple vinaigrette:  

   In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined.

4. Mix and rest:

   In a large bowl, combine the bread pieces, partially dehydrated tomatoes and cucumber, chopped red onion, and torn basil leaves. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the mixture and gently toss everything together.  

   Let the salad rest for at least 30 minutes, allowing the bread to fully absorb the juices and flavors. Toss once or twice during this time. Adjust seasoning just before serving.

Summary:  

This salad is a model of resourcefulness and smart cooking. The Geedel manual food chopper not only efficiently processes soft, juicy vegetables, but its innovative “partial spinning” application effectively addresses the common issue of excess water in traditional tomato salads. This ensures the bread achieves the ideal texture and the overall salad is perfectly balanced.