Bread Salad

Around here no cooking really means no cooking. Sometimes after a full day of cooking for my (client) families, all I ever want to do is sit, relax and eat a no-cook meal. Which is the reason behind this bread and tomato salad I created. It’s my version of the panzanella salad, without the fuss. I’ve made it with balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard before but this time, the bread was busy soaking up juices from our over ripe tomatoes from the backyard so I skipped the vinegar altogether. It was still delicious and a perfect meal for one. You can add a grilled fish or chicken to make it a main course for a dinner party. The bread and the tomatoes make up the starch and the vegetable so skip making another side. Tell your guests Green Eats said so.

Panzanella

Ingredients

1/2 baguette, day old preferred
6 yellow pear tomatoes, halved
4 black plum tomatoes, chopped
6- 8 fresh Basil leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh Greek Oregano, finely chopped
3 tablespoons Parmesan, grated or shaved
Sea Salt, to taste
Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, use the really good stuff that makes a rare appearance for this recipe

Slice the bread diagonally and then again into 1/2 inch cubes. Place the bread in a large serving bowl with tomatoes. Stir together the olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the bread and tomatoes and toss to combine. Top the salad with shaved parmesan. For the best results, let the salad rest for 30- 45 minutes before serving; this allows the bread time to soak up the tomato juices with the seasonings.

Serve at room temperature.