The Italian classic bread salad sets out to use day-old (or so) bread and the abundance of tomatoes a good and lucky gardener might have sitting on the counter, and not needed for sauce, in late summer.
Well, I make a lot of bread salads. Love the classic but summer's short where I live, and out of neccessity I've ventured further out to make my own winter versions. One of my two favorites involves shaved (thinly sliced) cauliflower marinated all day with lots of garlic.
And the other is this one, based on a recipe I read for parchment roasted tomatoes some time back and my own love of Provencal style cooking, which is actually the real inspiration for the flavors in this dish. Parchment roasting deepens the flavor of the weaker winter tomatoes while hanging onto all the juices which become a critical ingredient in the dressing, arugula is available year-round, and for this one you don't even want stale bread. Fresh is best, torn into hunks, tossed with a drizzle of olive oil, and lightly toasted in the oven so that the bread pieces are crispy on the outside and tender-chewy in the middle. For the herb component I like the complexity of dried herbs d'Provence--yes I know, basil is SO good with tomatoes, but come summer we'll all be eating a lot of caprese and pasta dishes involving both. Better, I think, for the shorter, cooler days that come before, and exquisite with both tomatoes and the chevre crumbled over the top, is Herbs d'Provence.
4 large beefsteak sized tomatoes or more smaller ones
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tblsp extra for the bread
1 tblsp herbs d'Provence
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups arugula
4-6 cups torn pieces of artisan-style bread
6 ounces chevre fresh goat cheese
salt and black pepper to taste
Set oven to 350. Cut 2 sheets of parchment (or foil) paper into 12” x 18” rectangles. Fold them each in half along the middle to form 2 12” x 9” packets. Place the parchment on a baking sheet.
Core the tomatoes and halve them laterally. Divide in two batches, and place each batch cut side down toward one side of each packet. Leave on the middle of each packet. Top each with half the garlic and Herbs d'Provence, season with S & P, then divde the 1/4 cup of EVOO between the two. Fold and pleat the parchment to seal. Bake for one hour or until the tomatoes and garlic are soft.
In the meantime, tear the bread and spead it out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a few extra tablespoons of EVOO and toss. Set aside to go in the oven when the tomatoes are removed.
When the tomatoes are done, let cool. Turn up the heat in your oven to 450 and toast the bread. It should crust over nicely in about five minutes.
When the tomatoes are cool, open the packets over a large salad bowl so that all the juices can drain off. Cut the tomatoes in large chunks and add, then the toasted bread. Allow the bread to marinate somewhat, 5-10 minutes, then add the arugula, toss and plate. Top each serving with crumbled chevre.