Tocco or Recipe #4

According to About.com, "Tocco is a Ligurian term that means meat sauce, or ragù, and is an example of frugality." From another website, "Tucco is meat sauce made in the whole Comunità Montana area." 

According to me, tocco is some serious good food. My friend's mother was taught the recipe as a child in Peru at the knee of an Italian woman who brought the recipe with her from the old country (I am serious!). My friend's mother is in her eighties so this recipe has been around for a long time. My friend was nice enough to give me the recipe (that her mother even signed for me) and then she made it for me once and then she watched me as I made it. See one, do one.... I was surprised how easy it was to make and it was so delicious. (Many of the recipes that I looked at used braising meat but we just used ground beef.)

Now that I have made you hungry, I have a confession. I promised my friend that I would not share this secret family recipe. So, you will just have to take my word that it is amazing (or you can ask my sister and her family) and be excited that this completes recipe #4!

 

Buon appetito!

Peant Butter Cookies- Recipe #2.5

A girl in my sister's ward made these cookies for my nephews' baptism. They were so tasty that I hunted down the girl and I begged her for the recipe. She told me it was the easiest recipe and I didn't believe her until I tried it. They are delicious and actually dangerously easy. (This recipe gets #2.5 because I did make them over the Christmas holiday for a cookie exchange. However, I wanted to share anyway.)

Step One: Buy a peanut butter cookie mix. I know, it is cheating, it has added preservatives,they are not "homemade", I get the arguments but go buy a mix.


Step Two: Make up the mix according to the instructions and use a small cookie scoop to evenly distribute the dough into mini cupcake pans. Do not press down dough into the pans or the bottoms of the cookies will get too well done (like we did below).


Step Three: Bake according to the mix. When the cookies have about 3-5 more minutes left to bake, take them out and gently press a Reese's peanut butter into the center of each cookie. Put them back into the oven for 3-5 minutes or until cookies are done.


Step Four: Be patient and let the cookies sit for 2 minutes in the pan. Take the cookies out of the pan and let them sit for 2-3 more minutes. As Alton Brown says, "Your patience will be rewarded."


Step Five: Enjoy, repeat, go to the gym (the gym statement is just for me):) These cookies are super easy but they look complicated-a perfect mix.

Slop Sloppy Joes or Recipe #3

I love sloppy joes. I love good, meaty sloppy joes. When I saw a recipe for sloppy joes on the Pioneer Women's Blog, I had to try them (yes, I am a little addicted to her blog). They were delicious. I loved the depth of the flavor and the easiness of this recipe. (My nephew Alex (who is 13 years old) told me that he had sloppy joes a while back but he couldn't remember their name. So he called them Floppy Johns. Creative.)

Recipe: Sloppy Joes

Prep Time: 10 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 20 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2-½ pounds Ground Beef
• ½ whole Large Onion, Diced
• 1 whole Large Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1-½ cup Ketchup
• 1 cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder (more To Taste)
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• ½ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)
• Worcestershire Sauce, To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (optional)
• Tabasco Sauce (optional; To Taste)
• Salt To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Kaiser Rolls
• Butter

Preparation Instructions

Add butter to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of the fat and discard.
Add onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until vegetables begin to get soft.
Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Spread rolls with butter and brown on a griddle or skillet. Spoon meat mixture over the rolls, topping with a slice of cheese if it makes your skirt fly up. Serve hot with kettle cooked chips (or our favorite, tater tots!).

Butterflies in January or Project #1

It is freezing. It is so cold outside that it is hard to walk from the car to the house. I feel like my bones are frozen. I want spring to come and honestly I would like it to come really soon (like tomorrow). Spring to me is all about happiness, flowers, bees, sunshine, butterflies, etc. etc. So, in honor of the spring that has yet to sprung and in honor of my sweet niece Jenna's birthday, I made Jenna butterfly cupcakes from my cupcake book. The end result was great but making the chocolate butterflies almost made me pull my hair out. I feel that now that I have had some practiced, I could make the next batch of butterflies with a lot less stress. I bought the flower cupcake papers from Joann's but I am sure you can find them other places. I thought the flowers made a nice touch. (One of my 36 New Year's resolutions is to complete 36 new or old projects or learn a new skill. Here is project #1.)

Dear spring, please come soon.

Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp or Recipe #2

I am in love with the Pioneer Woman and her blog. She is amazing and her food is delicious. While I was in Texas last week, I tried her Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp. I had never cooked raw shrimp before and if I have to say so myself, the dish was pretty fantastic. My friend at work who is an amazing cook and grew up on the coast of Spain told me to soak my frozen shrimp in cold salt water to defrost them (he says the salt help get rid of that frozen in the bag taste and he was right!). So, I let them sit in the salty cold bath for about 10 minutes and then I rinsed them and put them in the refrigerator until I was ready for them. I bought a 1 lb. bag of frozen shrimp from Whole Foods and halved the recipe.

The shrimp were perfect after 8 minutes and the butter sauce was incredible. This is an easy, fast and delicious recipe.

Recipe: Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Prep Time: 5 Minutes | Cook Time: 25 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Raw Shrimp, Deveined, Shells On
• 2 sticks Cold Unsalted Butter Cut Into Pieces
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 4 cloves Garlic, Peeled
• ¼ cups Fresh Parsley
• ½ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse frozen shrimp to separate, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

In the bowl of a food processor, add cold butter, garlic, lemon juice, salt, parsley, and red pepper. Pulse until combined. Sprinkle cold butter crumbles over the shrimp.

Bake until shrimp is opaque and butter is hot and bubbly.

Serve with hot crusty bread. Peel and eat the shrimp, then dip the bread into the butter in the bottom of the pan.

The Perfect Pot Roast or Recipe #1

As previously mentioned, I am turning 36 this year. To honor my 36th year, I wrote 36 New Year's Resolutions and many of them had something to do with 36. One of my resolutions is to make 36 new recipes. It seems like a lot of new recipes but I thought it would be a good goal.

So, for recipe #1, I found, The Perfect Pot Roast as found on the Pioneer Woman's blog. I love pot roast and the photos on the Pioneer Woman's blog looked so delicious, I had to try the recipe. I am telling you, she did not lie! It was the perfect pot roast. It was meaty and tender and the vegetables were delicious. Oh and the best part, it is easy. A little work in the beginning and the outcome is heavenly. I told my sister Michelle about the recipe (I made it the first time with Dan & Ellen in Dallas) so guess what I made on Sunday? You got it, another perfect pot roast. Don't believe me, try it for yourself.

Recipe: Pot Roast

Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 4 Hours | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 whole Onions
• 6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste
• 1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead) I skipped the wine.
  
• 2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock (Not beef broth, stock is richer and helps this recipe)
  
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
• 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

Preparation Instructions

First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).
Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate. (The first time I made this recipe, I cooked the onions too long. They really only need a few minutes at the most to get some color. The second time I made the roast, I didn't cook them long enough.)

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.
If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.
When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.
Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

Mac Daddy

I have a terrific boss. No really, I do. He is funny, smart and a great manager. I love how he solves problems and this is important to me because my job is to solve the Human Resource problems. He is a great support and gives great advice.

This summer he asked me to help him coordinate a series of dinners at his home. He wanted to invite every employee over to his house for a cook-out. He said that he would do the cooking and he wanted the evenings to be casual and a way for employees to get to know him and each other in a fun atmosphere. So, I planned, coordinated and even helped cook. The evenings were fun events and because I am in charge of the HR Department, I was lucky enough to attend every single one. We had the same menu every dinner and the food was delicious every time.

So, I thought I would share my boss’ and my boss’ wife’s delicious cook-out recipes. My boss became so “famous” around the office for his Macaroni & Cheese that for a thank you gift we bought him and his wife aprons that said, “Mac Daddy and Mrs. Mac Daddy” and once you have tried the recipe, I think you will agree. It is awesome!

Four-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe was first published in Saveur-Issue #129

kosher salt to taste

8 oz. hollow pasta, preferably

elbow macaroni or shells

3 slices crustless white bread

6 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 tsp. paprika

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 shallots, minced

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup flour

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

3 cups milk

10 oz. grated sharp white cheddar

(about 4 cups)

10 oz. grated Gruyère (about 4 cups)

6 oz. Velveeta, cut into 1/2" cubes

(about 1 1/4 cups)

1 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

*The Boss also adds a can of chopped tomatoes without the juice.

1. Heat oven to 375°. Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked halfway through, about 3 minutes for elbow macaroni. Drain pasta; set pasta aside. Tear bread into small pieces and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely ground; set aside. Return pan to medium heat and melt 3 tbsp. butter. Add bread crumbs and stir to combine. Transfer bread crumb mixture to a plate and set aside.

2. Wipe out pan and set over medium heat. Melt the remaining butter and add the paprika, thyme, shallots, and bay leaf; cook, stirring often, until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cayenne and stir until mixture thickens, 1 minute. Whisk in milk and cook, continuing to whisk often, until sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaf and remove pan from heat.

3. Stir in cheddar, half the Gruyère, the Velveeta, and the blue cheese; continue stirring until smooth. Stir in pasta and season sauce with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to an 8" x 8" baking dish. Sprinkle remaining Gruyère over top of pasta and then top with bread crumbs.

4. Transfer baking dish to an aluminum foil--–lined baking sheet and bake until macaroni and cheese is golden brown and bubbly, 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

SERVES 6 – 8

Broccoli Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 head broccoli (cut into small pieces)
  
• 6 to 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (Boss' wife uses bacon bits real bacon)
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup raisins, optional
• 8 ounces sharp Cheddar, cut into very small chunks
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar

Directions

Trim off the large leaves from the broccoli stem. Remove the tough stalk at the end and wash broccoli head thoroughly. Cut the head into flowerets and the stem into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add the crumbled bacon, onion, raisins if using, and cheese. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients to make the dressing, stirring well. Add dressing to broccoli mixture and toss gently.

Rosa Mexicano Guacamole Recipe

1 tbsp white onion

cilantro

jalapeno

3 hass avocado

3 tbps diced tomato

2 tbs chopped cilantro

Tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Grind 1 tbsp. finely chopped white onion, 1 firmly packed tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, 2 tsp. finely chopped jalapeño, and 1 tsp. salt together in a molcajete until all the ingredients are well ground. (Alternatively, use a fork to mash the ingredients to a paste in a wide bowl.)

2. Cut 3 medium-ripe hass avocados (about 8 ounces each) in half. Twist the halves to separate them and remove the pit with the tip of the knife. Place an avocado half, cut side up, in your palm and make 3 or 4 evenly spaced lengthwise cuts through its flesh down to the skin, without cutting through the skin. Make 4 crosswise cuts in the same fashion.

3. Scoop the diced avocado flesh into the molcajete. Repeat with remaining avocado halves. Gently fold the avocado into the chile–onion paste, keeping the avocado pieces fairly intact.

4. Add 3 tbsp. diced tomato, 2 firmly packed tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, and 1 tbsp. finely chopped white onion.

5. Fold together all the ingredients. Taste and add salt, if necessary.

6. Serve immediately, directly from the molcajete (or bowl), with tortilla chips.

Makes 4 servings.

Bon Appetit!

Peanut Butter Balls Revisited

A few months ago I posted about this amazing Peanut Butter Balls recipe. The last time I made them in a 9 x 13 but this time my friend Emma came over and we rolled them into balls and dipped them in chocolate. I did not have dipping chocolate so I made my own with semi-sweet chocolate chips and a little vegetable oil. I was really happy that we took the time to roll out the balls. Everyone who tried them loved them. I think I might buy a small scoop to make the process go faster. This time I took my cookie scoop, scooped up the dough into a ball, cut the ball in half, and then rolled the dough into a smaller ball. A little bit of work but delicious results. I think if I make them one more time, I might have this recipe down.

I sprinkled the end product with some leftover graham cracker crumbs.
They looked and tasted great.

I don't like to bake.

Seriously, I was thinking about my blog and I realized that if you only read my blog and you didn't know me personally, you would think that I do a lot of baking. The truth is that I bake for parties, mix n' mingles, friends, etc. I almost never bake just for fun, I have to have a purpose. I guess I have had a lot of reasons to bake lately and let's be honest would you rather see a picture of me at work or a picture of my latest food creation. My next goal is to start cooking meals ahead of time so when I get home late from work and I still have to work on my seminary lesson that I can warm up something homemade instead of eating cold cereal.

My latest treat was for two Halloween parties. My friends Anjie & Eric host a family friendly Halloween party every year and even though I may not have my own children, I like to party with all my little friends.

I am usually excused from bringing anything to the party but Anjie did ask for my Indoor S'mores and since I had to make something for my work party, I just made two batches.

The recipe is very easy and oh, so good! (Thanks Aunt Sheila for introducing me to this amazing treats years ago.)

Indoor S'mores

1/3 cup light corn syrup

8 cups Golden Grahams cereal

6 Tbsp. butter

5 cup mini marshmallows

1 1/2 cups Milk Chocolate Chips

1 cup Marshmallows

1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

Grease a 9x13" pan. Heat corn syrup, butter and chocolate chips, and 5 c marshmallows to boiling in saucepan, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Pour over cereal in large mixing bowl; toss quickly until well coated. Fold in 1 c marshmallows. Press mixture evenly in pan with piece of waxed paper. Let stand 1 hour until firm or refrigerate if firmer bar is desired. Cut into 2" squares. 24 squares.

Mix n' Mingle 4

When I was in high school, if someone made-out with someone else, they said, "Oh, you scored." I am sure this was not new terminology and it probably was defined in many different ways and degrees. However, there was always a lingering question that people asked when you started dating someone, "So, did you SCORE??!!!" Needless to say, this is the introduction to one of my high school embarrassing moments and the start of my nickname by a few of my close male friends. Looking back, this story is not that embarrassing but at the time it was to me.

Most Sundays while I was in high school, there was a missionary farewell I could attend. Sometimes I knew the eager missionary well and sometimes I went for moral support for my girlfriends. After the farewell, we would all head back to the missionary's home for cookies, sandwiches, punch, and a social hour. Well, after one particular farewell, I found myself standing across a table full of food looking at one of my male friends who was two years older and who I thought was quite cute. All of a sudden I thought I heard him say, "So, Chris..would you like to score?" I was a bit taken back and I think I went red while I stammered around for the right response to show my shock and disapproval. Apparently, my indignant response of, "Of course not" and the appearance of my red face confused my male friend. He asked, "Chris, what's wrong, what did you think I just asked you?" This is the point where a non-embarrassed person would have just said nothing and moved on. I on the other hand after much pleading from my friend explained what I had heard. He just started roaring with laughter and said, "No, I actually asked if you wanted SOME MORE." I really tried to recover and I tried to come up with a better explanation but it was too late. He had started telling the story and my nickname stuck...S'more (get it? SOME MORE?!). I can't count the times after that that we would be in a huge group and he would yell out, "Hey S'more! Do you want to score?" This embarrassing trend continued even while this friend was on his mission, I would receive letters addressed to S'more. Now you may asked why I would even share this story at all but most people who know me know that I love s'mores and apparently the connection to my embarrassing moment has not deterred me away from a perfectly roasted marshmallow with melted chocolate. Luckily for me, I now found the equivalent of s'mores on speed...S'more Brownies. I found this recipe on the Cast Sugar blog and they are fantastic. Oh, and for the record I was a very good girl in high school and this friend only got a hug or two:)

S'mores Brownies

(adapted from Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook, 2005)

Ingredients:

2 c. graham cracker crumbs

7 Tbsp. salted butter, melted

1 c. salted butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 Tbsp. vanilla

5 large eggs

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

4 oz. milk chocolate, chopped

25-40 mini marshmallows (about half a bag)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Spoon the mixture into a glass 9X13 pan, and pat down evenly to cover the bottom only. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and sugar, stirring constantly until the sugar and butter are melted. In a large bowl, add the chopped bittersweet chocolate. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the chocolate and stir until it is melted. Add the vanilla and mix. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir until they are just combined. Stir in the chopped milk chocolate chunks.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Place the marshmallows evenly over the top.

Bake the brownies for 40-50 minutes, until crackled on top and a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let the brownies cool on a wire rack, and then cut.

I made the brownies for the October Mix n' Mingle and they were a huge success.
Now that's a SCORE!

Let them eat cake. . .

For Dan's Birthday party at my house, Ellen made him an Oreo cake. Ellen made two chocolate cakes, then she whipped whip cream and poured it into a cake pan lined with plastic wrap. She then froze the whip cream. When it was time to assemble the cake, she put the frozen whip cream in between the two chocolate cake rounds and then frosted the cake with rich chocolate frosting. It was gorgeous, delicious, and it deserved some photo time on my blog. Good job Ellen, even Amelia wanted to get in on the action.

Happy Birthday Dan! May this be your funniest year yet!

It tastes like birthday. . .

As the story goes, my mom's Uncle Loran and Aunt Mary were Mission Presidents in Argentina after they lived in Uruguay while Uncle Loran worked for the State Department (I asked my mom if Uncle Loran was a spy and she just laughed and said no). While they were there, Aunt Mary learned to make a dish called Milanesa. Well, when they returned home, they brought back the recipe. The dish soon became a family favorite now for four generations. I can only think of one birthday as I was growing up that I did not have Milanesa for my birthday dinner and I would probably guess that my siblings would say the same thing. It is a special treat and even though it is a labor intensive meal, it is so worth the effort. Two weekends ago, my brother Dan and his wife Ellen, and their sweet baby Amelia came to D.C. to spend Dan's birthday weekend with me. Dan wanted Milanesa for dinner so we all pitched in and made a delicious dinner. Every time I make the recipe, I am amazed that my mom went to all the work for each child's dinner and special occasion. (Mom, I am sure you were exhausted but we all really appreciate you spending your time to make our birthdays so special!)

Now, let's get on with the show.

1 high grade boneless beef roast, sliced thin
Flour
Garlic Salt
Oregano
Marjoram (Very Important)
Parsley
Onion Salt
Salt
Pepper
2 Eggs
3/4 cup milk
Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying
Thin-sliced ham
Sliced Swiss cheese
Tomato, sliced

Season flour with spices to taste. Mix eggs and milk in separate bowl. Place bread crumbs in third container. Dip meat slices in seasoned flour, then egg mixture, then crumbs. Fry breaded meat. Drain on a paper sack or paper towels. Arrange on a cookie sheet. Top each piece of meat with a slice of ham, Swiss cheese, and then tomato. Place in oven until the cheese melts.

I usually make the Milanesa the day before the special occasion and keep it in the refrigerator. Then I just warm the Milanesa and melt the cheese before serving. It also freezes very well. My Grandma Todd use to always have Milanesa in her freezer for a quick special meal.

Bon Appetite!

Problem Solved

Whenever I make cookies I usually try and double the recipe so I have some dough to freeze for future use. I made frozen logs of dough for a long time but I thought that the cookies never baked up like the originals. Frustrated, I told my mom of my dilemma. My mom told me that my cousin Andrea (who is an amazing homemaker) would freeze the dough in balls and then she was able to pull out of the freezer how many cookies she wanted and they also bake up nice and round like the originals. Problem Solved! Saturday I had a family come look at my house and I wanted to have some cookies baking for good measure.

This is what I did with the rest of the dough. Note: The white board is my cutting board turned upside down. Remember to line the surface on the board with Saran Wrap or the dough will stick. It is always nice to have homemade cookies in the freezer. I can't count the times these balls of dough have saved me when I have needed a treat for a party, mix n' mingle, seminary, etc.

All good things must come to an end. . .

I can't believe that summer is almost over and I just have one more day. Summers in D.C. are not defined by month or temperature, summers here are defined by traffic and people. The metro area empties out during the summer months and traffic gets lighter and there are just less people on the metro, in the stores, at church- it is fantastic! School starts this coming Tuesday which means that the crowds are back and it is time to move into Fall. So, for my last Sunday before things change I made an amazing summer salad. I found the recipe on Cast Sugar and it was delicious. I hate soggy bread so I kept the bread and the salad separate until I ate it. (If anyone (who lives by me) needs capers, I bought a huge bottle from Costco and I am willing to share.)

Enjoy and I hope the salad reminds you of sunny days with blue skies and no traffic.

Panzanella

(adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis' Everyday Italian, 2005)

Ingredients:

1/4 c. drained capers

12 oz. ciabatta or other country-style white bread, 2 to3 days old

8 ripe tomatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds total), cored and scored on the bottom

2 Tbsp. + 2/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. + 1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c. thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

1 c. diced cucumber chunks (salted and drained on paper towel)

1/4 c. pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise

Soak the capers in 2 Tbsp. of vinegar in a small bowl for 10 minutes. Drain.

Cut the crust off of the bread. If it is not quite “stale” enough: Cut into 2-inch slices and toast in a 350 F oven for about 20-30 minutes. Once toasted, cut or tear bread into 1 inch cubes and set aside.

Submerge the tomatoes into a large saucepan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl of ice water to cool slightly. Using a small sharp paring knife, peel off the tomato skins. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the tomatoes into 1-inch cubes and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk 2/3 c. of oil, 1/4 c. of vinegar, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the bread cubes, tomatoes, and basil; toss to combine.

Transfer half of the bread mixture to a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish. Arrange half of the cucumbers, drained capers, and olives over the bread mixture. Repeat layering with the remaining bread mixture, then the remaining roasted peppers, capers, and olives.

Cover the salad and let stand at room temperature for flavors to blend, at least 1 hour (and up to 8 hours).