Garlic Bread and Salad

Neither of these are very complicated, but OH how I love them. And when you are having an incredible pasta dinner, bread and salad are a MUST for sides.

The salad was a simple combo of romaine hearts, a bag of spring mix (aka "pretty" lettuce), a diced yellow pepper and carrot shavings (use your peeler to peel off the outside of the carrot and then just use it to make pretty shavings of carrot). I made a homemade honey mustard too (with my emulsifier that Lauren got me for Christmas)

The bread was slightly more complicated, but WORTH the tiny bit of prep. Thank you Ina Garten for this lovely concoction.

Ingredients

• 6 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1 loaf ciabatta bread
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until minced. Add the parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and pulse twice.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan and add the garlic mixture. Remove the pan from the heat.

Slice the ciabatta bread in half horizontally, and spread the butter on 1 half. Spread the garlic mixture on the other half of the bread, and put the halves together. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil.

Place the bread in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Open the foil, and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes.

More on the dinner party tomorrow :)