
Summer Bread & Tomato SaladRecipe by Chef Heidi Fink Yield Serves 4 This classic summer dish makes a delightful lunch or side dish. The combination of vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh herbs, fruity olive oil and crusty bread is divine! Ingredients 120 g (approx. 4 cups chopped) good quality French or Italian bread 650 g (approx. 3 cups chopped) vine-ripened tomatoes ¼ red onion, very thinly sliced (about ½ cup sliced) 80 ml (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil 60 ml (1/4 cup) chopped pitted Kalamata olives 60 ml (1/4 cup) minced fresh basil 15 ml (1 Tb) minced fresh oregano 30 ml (2 Tb) red wine vinegar 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) salt 1.5 ml (1/4 tsp) pepper Directions Preheat oven to 250 F. Leaving the crusts on, cut bread into crouton-sized cubes. Spread out on a baking tray and dry out in the oven for about 15 minutes. Once the bread has dried out, remove it from the oven and let cool. This very important step allows the bread to soak up the dressing without getting mushy. Meanwhile, hop the tomatoes into small pieces, keeping the seeds and juices. You should have about 3 cups. Place the prepared tomatoes, along with any accumulated juices, into a large bowl. Add the red onion, olive oil, olives, basil, oregano, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Allow to marinate, mixing occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes, for the flavours to meld and the salt to draw out extra juice from the tomatoes. About 5 minutes before serving, mix all of the bread cubes into the tomato mixture. Mix well. Let sit about 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until the dried bread has soaked up all the dressing. Serve immediately. Leftovers taste great for lunch the next day.

Summer Bread & Tomato SaladRecipe by Chef Heidi Fink

Yield Serves 4

This classic summer dish makes a delightful lunch or side dish. The combination of vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh herbs, fruity olive oil and crusty bread is divine!

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 F.

Leaving the crusts on, cut bread into crouton-sized cubes. Spread out on a baking tray and dry out in the oven for about 15 minutes. Once the bread has dried out, remove it from the oven and let cool.

This very important step allows the bread to soak up the dressing without getting mushy.

Meanwhile, hop the tomatoes into small pieces, keeping the seeds and juices. You should have about 3 cups.

Place the prepared tomatoes, along with any accumulated juices, into a large bowl. Add the red onion, olive oil, olives, basil, oregano, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Allow to marinate, mixing occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes, for the flavours to meld and the salt to draw out extra juice from the tomatoes.

About 5 minutes before serving, mix all of the bread cubes into the tomato mixture. Mix well. Let sit about 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until the dried bread has soaked up all the dressing.

Serve immediately. Leftovers taste great for lunch the next day.

Summer Bread & Tomato SaladRecipe by Chef Heidi Fink

Ingredients

Directions