BABY LETTUCE & OLIVE OIL BREAD SALAD

salad with homemade croutons, butter with a side of bread

Salad! We have a love-hate relationship. I should love them... I try... but they're just so...

lettuce-y.

This is one of my favorite go-to salads that I can actually enjoy. It's easy, fresh, and has enough yummy stuff to offset the lettuce (which by the way, is so cute and tiny!). OH! And it has bread. Go figure. Me? Bread? :)

Baby Lettuce & Olive Oil Bread Salad

3 slices rustic bread (I used a mini baguette)

1 lb. ripe tomatoes

1 small zucchini or cucumber, sliced

1 head baby or Boston lettuce, separated

1/4 c. kalamata olives (I couldn't find these to save my life... I had a screaming baby & crazy toddler, so I just used black olives:)

Olive oil

Coarse salt & pepper

1 tbsp. Red Wine vinegar
Oregano
+Anything else your heart so desires

The key to this salad (or any salad in my book, really) is the crouton portion. I LOVE HOMEMADE CROUTONS!!! Hearty bread ripped up, drizzled, and shaken around in olive oil, coated with salt and pepper (or other seasonings if you wish), broiled or toasted for just a few minutes and served soon thereafter speaks right to one's heart! I'm telling you- homemade croutons are a must!

While you can serve this with any dressing, I'm partial to a good drizzle of olive oil, a few shakes of red wine vinegar, coarse salt, pepper, and oregano. From there you can add cheese, fruit (dried or fresh), and any veggie you can think of! Usually I add spring mix and spinach, but this day I was all out. I've never tried zuccini in salad before, but it was really tasty! There's nothing like a good, hearty, salad to remind me that you can still taste fresh food in the crispness of autumn...