Summer is almost here! Tomatoes galore! Well, I hope. We planted two tomato plants this year….we have a very small yard and limited area that gets good sunlight. Very hopeful we get a good yield this year – I have so many ideas….and I don’t want to shell out the prices at our neighborhood farmers market.
Make this salad. You must! It will be a hit at any meal…be it for one person, or a group, this combination of flavors screams summer.
Admission: I love a carb….and a salad with bread….well, that’s just up my alley. Recipes like the Italian Panzanella and the Arabic Fattoush have existed for hundreds of years, so that is enough proof to show that this is a winner.
There’s one unusual ingredient in this dish….and while I am going to call it optional…..it is a fun item to have in your fridge: pickled garlic. I found this recently at our local co-op market….it was on sale from $7.99 to $5.99 so I grabbed it….and I am glad I did.
What’s it like? Well, it’s a sweet, vinegary garlic bite – the texture is very crisp, which was exciting to discover. I used 5 pickled garlic cloves in this dish….and would use more next time.
Garlic in recipes is such a personal preference….some people love love love garlic and go nuts with it – others are happy with a sprinkle of granulated garlic. With that in mind, I’ve given a few variations for you to work with.
Ingredients:
Salad:
2-pounds tomatoes (about 4 medium)
1 small round of sourdough bread (about 3-4 cups once cut up)
1/3 cup parsley (use less or completely omit if you aren’t a fan)
5 ounces feta
¼ cup olive oil
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
Dressing:
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. olive oil
½ T. honey
¼ t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
Instructions:
Slice the sourdough bread into bite size pieces…whatever your preference size is for a crouton.
Heat up a large pan on medium-high heat. Add in ¼ cup olive oil (or avocado oil) – add in the bread and immediately stir or use tongs to cover the bread as evenly as possible in the oil. Add the salt and pepper to the bread and continue to mix until the bread is toasted. Note: watch this! You don’t want it to burn….
Slice up the tomatoes, mince the parsley, and dice the feta and add to a large bowl.
Dressing: add all dressing ingredients together and whisk. Pour over the tomatoes.
When ready to serve, toss the bread into the tomatoes. DON’T do this step too early or your bread will be soggy. If you are planning on eating this meal over multiple days, keep the bread and tomatoes separate and incorporate them when you’re ready to eat.
Enjoy!
