One of the problems of living alone is buying bread. Unless I find a small loaf, I end up throwing bread away. And I love good bakery bread!
I turned my problem into an advantage by making my own croutons and bread crumbs. HOO HAH!
Olive bread- fresh from the bakery is one of my favorites. Keith, my youngest son and his son- Travis came up for Labor Day weekend. I made Lasagna one evening. Keith surprised me by going by Bleu- the local cheese store in Mammoth that I have mentioned in earlier blogs. He came back with warm Olive Bread and a wedge of Humbolt Fog cheese. YUM! Part of the loaf was left over which I will cut into half-inch cubes and drizzle with olive oil before toasting and storing for future salads.
Making your own croutons leaves you with the makings of a great salad and the satisfaction of knowing the bread was not wasted. You can use croutons in a number of recipes. Here is the one I made with the leftover olive bread.
Mountain Caesar Salad
1 head Romaine lettuce
2 tomatoes,washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
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| Mountain Caesar Salad |
1 cup Olive Bread Croutons
Dressing of your choice
Parmesan cheese
- Pull apart and wash each leaf of the Romaine. Toss any outer leaves if they seem limp. The inner leaves are the best! Tear (never cut) into bite-sized pieces and drain in a towel. Place towel with lettuce in the refrigerator to chill and crisp. This can be done up to one day in advance.
- Just before serving, toss lettuce with tomatoes, croutons, and dressing of your choice. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese just before serving.
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| Focaccia Asiago cubes to be tossed with Crisco's Culinary Fusion Bleu's Olive cubes waiting for Baker & Olive's Koroneiki EVOO oil |
Croutons
Leftover bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Melted unsalted butter or a good olive oil (flavored or not)- the amount of oil varies (enough to moisten but not so much as to make the bread soggy
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