Whenever I’m making homemade croutons for a recipe, I always make extra. Homemade croutons are great on salads and soups, or if you’re like me, as a snack. Today, I’ll be using two loaves of Artisanal bread and Tuscan Garlic Ciabatta to make my croutons. It’s just as easy to make 1 loaf into croutons as it is two, so why not?

Let’s talk about the fresh basil I’m going to add to my Summertime Tomato Gratin. Normally, I’d sprinkle fresh basil all over the top of the whole gratin while it is nice and hot. I love the smell fresh basil releases over hot dishes, but in this case, because there are only the two of us eating this dish, I’m only going to sprinkle the chopped basil over the hot Tomato Gratin once it’s served. I mean, it would look beautiful if I were to add it to the pan now. Fresh basil’s vibrant green color will add to the presentation of this dish, but as it sits, the basil will turn dark in color,  and that’s not a good look.

It’s important to chop the basil at the last minute because it will turn dark and discolored.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yields: 6 servings
Equipment: chef’s knife, bread (serrated) knife, paring knife, spatula, 1 (12-inch) sauté pan, 2 large mixing bowls, 2 rimmed baking sheet pans, cutting board

Ingredients for the Croutons:
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 loaves of Tuscan Garlic Ciabatta bread (substitute a good Artisanal bread), cut into a 3/4 inch dice
2 tablespoons of Kosher salt
2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients For Tomato Gratin:
3 pounds of good ripe tomatoes, cores removed, 3/4 inch dice
2 tablespoons of *E.V.O.O. see notes
3 1/2 cups of Tuscan Garlic Ciabatta bread (substitute a good Artisanal bread), toasted, 3/4 inch dice
5  cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (if garlic cloves are large, use 3 cloves)
2 teaspoons of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
2 heaping tablespoons of fresh basil, stems removed and chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Instructions for the Croutons:
Dice the Ciabatta into 3/4-inch cubes. Divide evenly the bread cubes onto 2 rimmed baking sheet pans. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon of fresh-ground black pepper to each tray. Toss to coat, spreading the cubes out into a single, even layer on each tray. Bake until golden brown and the bread cubes have the texture of crunchy croutons, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and set it aside. Continue to leave the oven on.

Instructions for the Gratin:
In the meantime, add olive oil to a sautè pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the sliced garlic. Cook the garlic, stirring frequently, until it browns slightly around the edges, and you can smell the garlic aroma, around 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, Kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper, and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high, cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the tomatoes release their juices and begin to concentrate their flavor. Turn the heat off.

Add in the 3 1/2 cups of croutons. Mix in the croutons until they are coated well. Press down slightly with a spatula to submerge all the croutons, allowing them to absorb the tomato juices. This dish will look like a savory bread pudding.

Scatter the remaining croutons over the top. Again, press those down just a little bit so they don’t move around during the cooking process. These will bake up nice and crunchy, giving another layer of texture to the top of the gratin. Add the freshly grated Pecorino Romano evenly all over the top.

Transfer the pan to the oven to bake for 40 to 45 minutes. After 30 minutes, loosen the edges of the crust with a spatula and allow any juices to rise.

After around 45 minutes, transfer the pan to a cooling rack. The gratin will still be slightly jiggly when you move the pan. You want to let it rest so the gratin sets up, 5 to 10 minutes.

I talked about this in the introduction. I’m not adding fresh basil to the entire gratin because there are only two of us eating this today, and I’m not sure if we’ll be able to eat it all. Once you chop fresh basil, it will discolor, and adding to the entire dish is not a good idea. Instead, I’m going to be sprinkling the fresh basil over our servings. If you’re planning to serve this whole pan immediately, add 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped basil on top of the tomato gratin.

There you have it, my Summertime Tomato Gratin.

Notes:
1) Prep the bread, garlic, and tomatoes before starting this dish.

2) *E.V.O.O. is an acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

3) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/