I love Stephanie because Stephanie loves croutons. She seems to agree that one of the primary reasons a person should eat salad is for the croutons (or the cheese, avocados, dried fruit, nuts, creamy dressing, take your pick).
How do I know she loves them? Because she puts them in everything and has come up with several techniques for making them, each one more decadent and delicious than the last. Here the the cubed ciabatta is tossed with melted butter, thyme, and garlic then baked.
Delicious as this salad is, it’s a little more time consuming that its title suggests. In addition to making the croutons the vinaigrette is not a mere whisking of oil and vinegar with some seasoning thrown in. Oh no. You make an apple puree out of apples, apples cider, cider vinegar, and maple syrup which you then must liquefy this in a blender.
Totally worth it though. And you know what? I didn’t think I liked radishes but, as it turns out, I like them just fine when they’re sliced very thin on a mandoline. And draped over croutons.
A slightly more streamlined version of this recipe is on Stephanie’s site right here.
It’s also on page 98 of Girl in the Kitchen.
