Tomato Panzanella with Ricotta

This recipe is from Martha Stewart's July/August edition of Everyday Food (with a few of my own revisions).

What you'll need:
2 1/2 slices of crusty (or well toasted) bread
1 lb. ripe tomatoes (I used Roma) cut into 1 inch slices
4 oz. thickly sliced mushrooms
1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons EVOO, plus extra for drizzling
1 cup fresh basil leaves, (torn if large)
8 oz. of ricotta cheese
Coarse salt and pepper to taste

Toast or bake bread until dry then lightly crumble. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, vinegar, and oil with a dusting of salt and pepper. Add crumbled bread and basil leaves to above mixture and stir together. Let this sit for 10-15 minutes for the bread crumbs to fully soak up the liquids. When you are ready to serve, place in bowls and top each with a hearty spoonful of ricotta cheese, a drizzle of oil, and salt and pepper.

This is an easy side dish that has a wonderfully fresh flavor! Enjoy!