We slightly adapted this recipe from the June issue of Better Homes and Gardens. It's great on a hot summer night, but I have a feeling this will still be tasty in the dead of winter next to a piping hot chicken breast.
tomato bread salad
6-8 servings
prep: 35 minutes, chill: overnight
4 medium roma tomatoes, cut in 1-inch chunks
1/2 of a medium red onion, cut in thin wedges (1/2 cup)
1 medium yellow sweet pepper, cut in 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning, crushed (or whatever italian-ish dried herbs you have — we used oregano)
8 oz. ciabatta or focaccia bread, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup small fresh basil leaves
16 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut in 1-inch cubes
Toss together the tomatoes, red onion, yellow sweet pepper and mozzarella in a large serving bowl.
In a screw-top container, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper (a reused salad dressing bottle comes in handy here). Cover and shake well. Pour over the veggies and stir to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours).
Preheat the oven to 400F. In a shallow baking pan, toss bread cubes with 1 tbsp. olive oil to coat. Bake for about 10 minutes or until toasted (see photo below), stirring once. Allow the cubes to cool on the pan. Snacking on the bread cubes is recommended — just save some for the salad!
Add the bread cubes and basil to the salad bowl and toss it all together.
If you know you'll have leftovers, it would be optimal to keep the bread cubes separate so they don't get soggy. But really, it's tasty even if the bread isn't crunchy.
This would be a great way to savor some of the final bits of fresh garden produce from the summer. Hope you enjoy!