We Can't Stop Eating.....

We had a fabulous Summer Bruschetta Salad at Carrabba's Italian Restaurant recently, and I had to recreate it at home. (with a little help from allrecipes.com and a few tweaks of my own) It is fabulous! With garden fresh tomatoes, I always have a batch marinating. This is not your typical post from me, but we just can't stop eating this, so I thought I'd share the recipe.

Marinated Tomatoes

2-3 cups small tomatoes cut into wedges (or halved cherry tomatoes)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt (I use coarse salt)

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Mix together dressing, pour over tomatoes. Gently stir to coat and chill for at least 2 hours.

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Homemade Garlic Croutons

5 or 6 1-inch thick slices of a good artisan bread, cubed (I make very large cubes)

4 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, cook and stir about 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add bread cubes and toss to coat, spread over a baking sheet.

3. Bake for 15 minutes for slightly chewy bruschetta texture, longer for crisp & dry croutons. Check & stir frequently to prevent burning.

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The Bruschetta Salad

Arrange marinated tomatoes and croutons atop a bed of greens of your choice. Drizzle with remaining marinade. Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

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Notes: We like the croutons a bit chewy to retain the bruschetta flavor/texture. As for greens in this salad, we like arugula best, green leaf is also good, but I'll use whatever we have on hand.

Makes: maybe 2 servings if you like it as much as us! :)

By the way, I don't even like tomatoes.....but I love this!