Tomato Bread Salad

In case you missed it, or if by some small chance you don’t know about The Pioneer Woman, (is there anyone left on the planet that doesn’t know about The Pioneer Woman? I think they even frequent her site from the space station) I posted a lovely recipe for one of my favorite salads — Tomato Bread Salad — a short while ago on her site. She was busy taping her new show airing this fall on the Food Network, so I stopped in with a guest post to give her a little blogging relief.

It is a salad that I have made many versions of in my chefing days. The secret is in the sauce, the tomato water sauce, clear and pink, but full of basil and tomato flavor.

It is a way to celebrate nature’s bounty… all of the heirloom tomatoes that are hopefully popping up in the not too distant future in gardens across the country.

And basil! Oh the basil I long for. Cilantro and arugula too.

And sweet, sweet red onions.

All blended together…

Into a green sludge that, when pressed and squeezed, emits a clear pink liquid, way more flavorful than it looks.

And homemade croutons, dropped into the salad at the very last second, to soak up all of that tasty tomato water.

You can get into the presentation of it and serve it in individual plates. Or you can serve it family style in a big platter, on a picnic table, on a late summer afternoon.

Here is the full step-by-step and the recipe over at The Pioneer Woman Cooks – Tomato Bread Salad. Enjoy!