An Inspired Cook

The farmers market was the place to be this past weekend.  They had everything you could ever want in fresh fruits and veggies, herbs, and honey.  There was a vendor who had cherry heirloom tomatoes and they were so colorful with different shapes and sizes, I just had to have some.  We bought 2 pints, enough to make 4 salads.  The farmers market is located next door to “The Tasteful Olive” where they have an extraordinary array of flavored Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars.  They have the traditional flavors but also unique blends that make an easy vinaigrette.  Whether you have heirloom tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, this will make a great summer side salad to any meal.

I made croutons with 4 slices of Sourdough bread.

I cut the Sourdough into small pieces.

Place the bread in a single layer on an aluminum lined cookie sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place in 350 degree oven for 5 minutes, then give them a stir and bake another 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool while we get the salad ready.

There’s about 4 cups of tomatoes. They were so nice at the farmers market and let me pick an assortment.

I made a simple Balsamic vinaigrette.  The ratio I used was 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons Olive Oil, and 1 teaspoon sugar.

Whisk it all together until it emulsifies.

I had some leftover Arugula so I put a little on the bottom of each bowl, then added the tomatoes and sourdough croutons.  I snipped some basil leaves from my herb garden just to make it pretty and add some flavor too.

Pour vinaigrette over top, making sure to soak up all of those bread pieces.

Afterwards, I thought to myself . . Wouldn’t it it taste good with some Kraft Parmesan Cheese?   With or without cheese, it was delish.


Heirloom Tomato and Bread Salad

2 pints Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes
4 slices Sourdough Bread
Olive Oil (for drizzling)
Salt & Pepper
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Sugar
Arugula or Red Leaf Lettuce Leaves
Fresh Basil Leaves (optional)
Kraft Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Make sourdough croutons by slicing into small cubes.  Place a single layer of bread cubes on an aluminum lined cookie sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake at 350 degrees a total of 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sugar together and stir with a wire whisk until emulsified.

In 4 small bowls, place a few lettuce leaves and top each with 1 cup of assorted heirloom tomatoes.  Sprinkle some sourdough croutons over the top.  Spoon balsamic vinaigrette over salads and top with fresh basil leaves and parmesan cheese if desired.