Recipe for a Potluck, Insalata diPane, Pomodoro, & Basilico from GourmetFoodPlaza.com

Gourmet Food Plaza

Recipe for a Potluck, Insalata diPane, Pomodoro, & Basilico

Insalata diPane, Pomodoro, & Basilico
This recipe for Tuscan Bread Salad is excerpted from The Cafe Cookbook : Italian Recipes from London's River Cafe. "Tuscans love bread, especially stale bread. They cook with it all the time." Try pairing it with Villadoro - Montepulciano D'abruzzo
Serves 6
1	ciabatta loaf
2 lb	ripe fresh plum tomatoes (with strong flavor if possible)
1 cup	extra virgin olive oil (fruitiness if possible)
2 tbsp	red wine vinegar
2	garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
pinch	sea salt
-	fresh ground pepper to taste
-	handful of fresh basil leaves
-	juice of half a lemon
2	handfuls mesclun mix or romaine lettuce hearts
-	optional; sliced fresh peppers for caller

-	Preheat oven to 475 F
-	Roughly tear loaf into small pieces
-	Bake in oven until toasty on outside and soft inside (no more than 5 minutes)
-	Put in large bowl
-	Take tomatoes, slice of tops and squeeze juice onto bread
-	Slice tomatoes lengthwise into 8 to 10 pieces for salad

-	Mix dressing, using half olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Shake well
-	Pour dressing over the toasted bread and toss
-	Add sliced tomatoes and peppers to bread
-	Tear up basil and add to bread
-	Squeeze lemon over salad to bring out flavor of tomatoes
-	Add mesclun greens or romaine lettuce
-	Pour remaining oil over top and toss well
-	Add salt and pepper to taste

-	Optional: 4 whole anchovies preserved in salt or packed in olive oil, rinsed if in salt and drained if preserved in oil, or 8 anchovy fillets, packed in oil, drained, or tuna. Coarsely chop and add at the last minute before serving

Other Potluck Recipes
Chilled Cucumber and Avocado Soup Artichoke and Hearts of Palm Seafood Salad Pasta with Marinated Hotchkiss Tomatoes Fresh Berry Salad Chocolate Chip Cookies

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