Florida Tomato and Romaine Salad with Charred Tomato Dressing

Ingredients

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add olive oil, garlic, seasoning blend and half the chopped herbs. Stir ingredients to combine. Hand-tear the partial bread loaf into bite-sized pieces and add them to the bowl. Stir ingredients to coat. Place the coated crouton pieces on a baking sheet and into the preheated oven. Cook croutons for 5 to 8 minutes or until crispy. Remove the croutons from the oven and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, add the diced tomatoes and the other half of the herbs. Season the diced tomatoes with sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Assemble salad in a large serving bowl by first adding the romaine. Next, add the sliced tomatoes, and lightly season everything with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Add some of the charred tomato dressing to the salad, leaving extra dressing to serve on the side. Garnish the salad with the homemade croutons and diced tomato mixture. Serve cold.