Grilled Cuban Bread Salad

Description

This recipe yields 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 4 slices Cuban or French bread, ½"-thick
• olive oil
• ¼ cup mixed chopped herbs (basil, parsley, thyme)
• salt to taste
• freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 1 vine-ripened tomato cut into 4 slices
• ½ cup Spanish tetilla cheese (or muenster or jack cheese)
• 4 cup mesclun greens
• 4 hard-boiled eggs peeled, quartered

Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup sherry vinegar
• 1 tsp finely-grated orange zest - (heaping)
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 1 small shallot finely chopped
• 1 pinch cumin
• salt to taste
• freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat grill.
2. Brush both sides of bread with olive oil and grill on first side until lightly golden brown.
3. Turn over, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the mixed herbs over each slice of bread.
4. Meanwhile brush each tomato slice with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Grill for 1 minute on each side and immediately place 1 slice of tomato on top of each slice of herb-topped bread.
6. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese over the tomato, close the lid and grill until the cheese begins to melt.
7. Toss mesclun in a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette and divide among 4 plates.
8. Top each salad with a slice of the grilled bread and drizzle with the vinaigrette.
9. Garnish with hard cooked eggs.

Vinaigrette

1. Whisk all ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste.