Roasted Tomato Bruschetta Salad —

Hello Spring! I’m glad you’re here. After months of enduring winter, the warmer temps and sunnier days have it finally receding from my mind. Now a shift is taking place away from the heavy, feel-good foods that help me trudge through the winter depths, and I’m ready for some lighter fare. Salads, the satisfying, full-flavored dinner-course variety like this roasted tomato bruschetta salad, seem like a perfect option.

I’d like to say I had this Roasted Tomato Bruschetta Salad planned, but in reality, it was plan B – what I had taken out of the freezer had failed to defrost in time to cook for a Sunday visit from my son and his girlfriend. It would have been easier to go out, but I find it much more enjoyable to linger around the table.

My inspiration comes from these past-their-prime compari tomatoes pictured in the photo above. My favorite technique for salvaging tomatoes that have gone a little soft is to roast them in the oven.  Cut into quarters, sprinkled with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, the heat of the oven caramelizes their natural sugars and intensifies their taste.  They can be used immediately, or stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

At the top of the post, you watched my first “kitchen-minute” video. It’s my first addition to the Seasonal Muse YouTube channel. My plan is to continue to add simple tips, tricks, and hacks that you can learn to do in under a minute. I promise the next will be better with the use of a camera tripod – but you get the idea.

As I was putting this together, I realized I was actually making a deconstructed version of Bruschetta, but in salad form.  Bruschetta is an antipasto, (starter dish), from Italy, consisting of grilled bread that is rubbed with garlic and then topped with olive oil, tomatoes, vegetables, cured meats, or cheese. It’s one of my summer favorites, especially when tomatoes are in abundance.

Homemade croutons, made out of old bread, add great flavor and a satisfying crunch to the salad. If you’ve made my no-knead bread recipe, this would be a great way to use up any that remains uneaten.  I’ve gotten lots of positive feedback on the recipe and easy technique from people who have tried it — they seem to love it as much as I do. You might want to give it a try: Recipe – No-Knead Artisan Bread, just leave out the fruit and nuts, and consider making it with olives instead.

A roasted tomato balsamic vinaigrette becomes the star by adding the zest that marries all the ingredients and pulls the salad together.  A sprinkle of shredded parmesan with its bold and buttery flavor adds a nice finish, then all you need is a fork and your appetite! Consider adding a protein like grilled chicken or shrimp to make this into a heartier entree salad option.

My son’s girlfriend, who doesn’t even like tomatoes, said this was one of the best salads she had ever eaten – now that’s a great testimonial!  Bon Appetite!

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