The BBQ Grail » Basil http://thebbqgrail.com It's All About Truth In BBQ Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:00:51 +0000 en hourly 1 Grilled Bread Salad With Tomatoes and Basil http://thebbqgrail.com/2011/tomato-and-grilled-bread-salad/ http://thebbqgrail.com/2011/tomato-and-grilled-bread-salad/#comments Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:00:00 +0000 Larry http://thebbqgrail.com/?p=7316

A salad without lettuce?  Who would have thought this would be something that tasted awesome.   I saw this on the Fine Cooking website and figured it would be a novel idea to try and blog about.  Little did I know that it would, in fact, be a flavorful and extremely tasty appetizer.  You’ve just

Continue reading ... Grilled Bread Salad With Tomatoes and Basil

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A salad without lettuce?  Who would have thought this would be something that tasted awesome.   I saw this on the Fine Cooking website and figured it would be a novel idea to try and blog about.  Little did I know that it would, in fact, be a flavorful and extremely tasty appetizer.  You’ve just got to try this recipe.

Grilled Bread Salad With Basil and Cherry Tomatoes

A trip to the grill gives the makings of a classic Italian bread salad—a good crusty loaf of bread, ripe summer tomatoes, and basil—a little smokiness and crisp texture. Because this salad can sit out at room temperature for an hour or two, it’s the perfect side for a picnic or barbecue. If you can’t find bocconcini, substitute a large fresh mozzarella cut into 1-inch pieces.

Ingredients:
  • 1 medium loaf (about 1/2 pound) rustic white bread (like ciabatta), cut length-wise into 1-inch-thick slices
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 clove garlic, halved lengthwise
  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 bunch scallions (about 8), trimmed and thinly sliced (both white and green parts)
  • 12 large basil leaves, torn into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
  • 8 oz . bocconcini (small fresh mozzarella balls), halved
Directions:

Prepare a medium-high fire on a gas or charcoal grill. Clean and oil the grates to prevent sticking. Using a pastry brush, dab both sides of the bread slices with 2 Tbs. oil and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt. Grill the bread until it browns and gets good grill marks, about 2 minutes. Grill the other side until browned, about 2 minutes, and transfer to a large cutting board to cool. Rub the cut sides of the garlic over the bread and discard the garlic. Put the cherry tomatoes and scallions in a large serving bowl with the basil. Cut the bread into 1-inch pieces and add to the bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining oil with the red-wine vinegar, pour over the bread mixture, and toss well. Let the salad sit for up to 2 hours before serving. Just before serving, fold in the bocconcini and season with salt to taste.

 

 

]]> http://thebbqgrail.com/2011/tomato-and-grilled-bread-salad/feed/ 1 Meatless Monday: Grilled Tomato Basil Soup http://thebbqgrail.com/2009/meatless-monday-grilled-tomato-basil-soup/ http://thebbqgrail.com/2009/meatless-monday-grilled-tomato-basil-soup/#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:42:06 +0000 Larry http://thebbqgrail.com/?p=1917

Ingredients:

12 Vine Ripened Tomatoes 2 tablespoons Olive Oil 2 garlic gloves, peeled and smashed 3 cups Vegetable Stock 1 cup Tomato juice (I used V8 Juice.  Next time I’ll use Spicy V8 for a little more kick.) Pinch of Chili Flakes Pinch of sugar Salt (Kosher or Sea) 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

Continue reading ... Meatless Monday: Grilled Tomato Basil Soup

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Ingredients:

  • 12 Vine Ripened Tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 garlic gloves, peeled and smashed
  • 3 cups Vegetable Stock
  • 1 cup Tomato juice (I used V8 Juice.  Next time I’ll use Spicy V8 for a little more kick.)
  • Pinch of Chili Flakes
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Salt (Kosher or Sea)
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tablespoons Oregano
  • 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olice Oil
  • 3 sprigs of Fresh Basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Preparation:

Pre-heat your grill.

Grilled Tomato Soup3Brush tomatoes with a slight coating of olive oil and grill them for 15 to 20 minutes or until the skin scorches and begins to peel.  Place tomatoes in a plastic bag and set aside to cool.

Peel and roughly chop 8 of the tomatoes.  Save all the juices and discard the peels.  Place the flesh and juice of the peeled tomatoes in a sauce pan with the remaining olive oil, garlic, vegetable stock, tomato juice, chili flakes, sugar, salt.

Simmer for 15 minutes.  Season with pepper and additional salt to taste.  Remove the garlic.

Grilled Tomato Soup4Place the four saved tomatoes in four warm bowls and ladle the soup over the top.  Garnish with a bit of parmesan cheese, oregano leaves and the fresh chopped basil.  Drizzle the soup with the extra virgin olive oil.

Grilled Tomato Soup5

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