Bread Salad

Pissed Of Patricia asked about the salad. It is an old Italian salad, where they use leftover, dried bread. Here is how I make it.

Cut up a bunch of GOOD tomatoes in small pieces. If you don't have decent tomatoes, don't even bother, it will suck.

Put them in a pretty big bowl. Add some chopped sweet onion or green onions, and some salt, a teaspoon or so. Depending on how much you are making, put a few glugs of balsamic vinegar and more of olive oil. Give it a good stir. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes, and up to a few hours so that the tomatoes will release some of their juice. Add fresh or powdered garlic if you want and pepper if you want. I am not a pepperer.

Toast some sliced baguette in the oven, cut in cubes, till dry but not hard, 10 to 15 minutes. I don't usually season them, because I am not a strongly seasoned sort of person. Let them cool a little and while you wait, get some fresh basil (ONLY fresh) and cut it in a chiffonade- roll up a bunch of leaves together and make skinny little slices.

I like to add a decent amount of blue cheese- maybe 2 tablespoons if just for me, more as you serve more. If you have it, avocado is good in it. I also put craisins and sliced almonds, because my holy trinity of salads is blue cheese, craisins, and almonds. Sometimes I add a little cooked chicken, or crab, but it doesn't really need it. Stir it all up, and then add a lot of the croutons. I usually add a scant cup of croutons for me, and if it for a crowd, about 2 cups. You can also use store croutons and it is just fine. Stir it all up, and serve.

If you like the croutons at the end of a regular salad, with all the dressing and other stuff once the lettuce is gone, you will like this salad. It is the perfect hot weather food.

Variations-

Sometimes I add little fresh mozzarella balls, or chopped up brie. Other nuts work well.

The only absolute ingredients are good tomatoes, fresh basil, and croutons. From there you can build it any way you want.