Leftover bread recipes

For the Antipodean summer just past we have used 3 recipes using toasted ciabatta pieces having 'overdone' Caesar Salads! the first is a pasta recipe which we really loved. It was rather like a warm salad.

ELICHE WITH ZUCCHINI

Serves 6

6 Tb extra virgin olive oil
2 cups ciabatta, ripped into 2 bite-sized pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 zucchini, sliced 1cm thick
1 large red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
peel of 1 preserved lemon, chopped (or zest of 1 lemon)
1 cup green olives
1 tsp dried oregano (I use 1 Tb fresh)
150ml dry white wine
400g Italian dried eliche*** or another favourite short pasta, cooked until tender in plenty of well-salted boiling water, drained and ready when the zucchini is ready
5 large ripe tomatoes, cored, chopped 2cm dice
basil leaves and finely grated Parmesan for sprinkling
* Heat a large frying pan over moderate heat. add 1Tb of the oil and the ciabatta and season with salt and pepper.
*Fry gently until the bread is crisp and golden. remove from the heat then from the pan, and reserve.
place the pan back on the heat; add the remaining oil and the zucchini, onion, garlic, lemon peel, olives and oregano. season well and gently fry for about 10 minutes until the zucchini and onion are tender. turn up the heat and add the wine, let it bubble then remove from the heat.
*Place the hot pasta into a wide, warm serving bowl and add the zucchini mixture, the tomatoes and the ciabatta. mix well and serve well sprinkled with basil and plenty of Parmesan.

*** We used Italian eliche which was pasta cut into ovals and before machines, would have been rolled between the thumb and forefinger.

When it comes to toasted bread in salads, I think any basically leafy salad can include croutons made of any bread.

ROASTED PEPPER, BREAD AND ROCKET SALAD

6 red capsicum
4 Tb olive opil
1/2 loaf of ciabatta or favourite white sourdough ripped into small bite-sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 Tb extra virgin olive oil
3 tomatoes, diced 2cm
1 cup black olives
zest and juice of 1 large lemon (or more juice to taste)
2 handfuls of rocket leaves

• Put the capsicums in a roasting dish and rub 2 Tb olive oil all overthem. plac e in the oven for about 15 minutes or until they are blistered all over and beginning to brown
• Remove from the oven and place in a heatproof bowl. Cover tightly and allow to steam for 20 minutes. Uncover, peel, core and seed but save the juices.
• Put the bread in another roasting dish, add the remaining olive oil and the garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
• Place in the oven and roast until the bread is crisp and golden. Remove and cool.
• Put the extra virgin olive oil, the tomatoes, zest and juice into a large salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Let sit for 10 minutes so that the juice seeps out of the tomatoes.
• Slice the capsicums 2cm tjhick and add, with their juice, to the tomato mixture.
• Just before serving, add the bread and the rocket, and toss well.