Sailor-Style Bread Salad

While enjoying a break from the frigid weather, we also took a break from hearty soups and stews with this substantial bread and tuna salad which is best eaten at room temperature. Originally, this salad was a clever use for stale bread by Italian sailors, who combined it with the fish they caught at sea, a few spices, and olive oil. Consider this pungent salad a meal in itself and make it early in the day to allow the flavors to soak into the bread.

Sailor-Style Bread Salad
8 cups stale bread chunks
Two 6 1/2 oz. cans tuna in olive oil
One 4 oz. can anchovies in olive oil
1 small red onion, minced
2 Tbsp. capers
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 Tbsp. minced fresh oregano (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/3 cup olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 oz. feta cheese, cubed

Place the bread chunks in a large bowl. Add the tuna with it's oil, the anchovies with their oil, the onions, capers, olives, and oregano. Toss to combine well. Pour the olive oil over the mixture and toss to coat all the bread chunks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold in the feta cubes.

Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit, at room temperature, for 2 - 3 hours. (Or refrigerate for longer but bring to room temperature before serving.)

Serve with lemon.