Heirloom Tomato Panzanella
Ingredients
For the tomatoes:
- 2-3 pounds colorful heirloom tomatoes
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- salt and pepper
For the Croutons:
- 1 loaf country bread
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
For the Vinaigrette:
- 1 shallot roughly chopped
- 1 cup tightly packed basil leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons basil vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the tomatoes:
- Clean and cut the tomatoes into large bite sized pieces and transfer them to a bowl.
For the Croutons:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the bread into small cubes. Transfer cubed bread to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle the bread with the olive oiland then sprinkle with garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Using your hands, gently toss the croutons and make sure they are coated with all the oils and seasonings.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.
For the Vinaigrette:
- Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.
- Drizzle over tomatoes and croutons.