Ingredients
8 ounces day old sourdough bread with crust, cut into 3/4 inch cubes (4 cups)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 red bell pepper
2 large tomatoes, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch dices
1 small fennel bulb, toops trimmed, bulb very thinly sliced
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup brined black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup loosely packed shredded basil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation
1 Pre-Heat the oven to 350. In a large bowl, toss the bread with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.Spread the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, or untilnicely toasted. Let cool, the return to the bowl. Put the pine nuts on the baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes, oor until golden. Add to the croutons in the bowl. 2 Roast the bell pepper over a gas flame or under the broiler until charred all over. Transfer the pepper to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool slightly. Peel and seed the pepper and cut it into 3/4 inch dices. Add the bell pepper to the croutons along with the tomatoes, fennel, onion, olives and basil. 3 In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar with the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil. Season the dressing with salt and pepper and pour it over the salad. Toss and let stand for 5 minutes, then serve
