Serves four
Ingredients
- Four 1/2-inch slices crusty peasant bread or baguette
- 1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter, melted
- 1 shallot or 2 garlic cloves, halved
- About 1/2 tsp. kosher or coarse sea salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides with the olive oil or melted butter. Toast the bread until golden brown, two to three minutes. Rub each slice lightly with a cut shallot or garlic clove; sprinkle with salt.
Author’s Note: If you’re in a hurry, toast the bread slices, without oil, in a toaster or toaster oven. When golden, brush with extra-virgin olive oil and rub lightly with a halved shallot or garlic clove; sprinkle with salt. (These are a little less chewy.)
Recipe excerpted from The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider (William Morrow, 2006).
Why No Numbers?
Readers sometimes ask us why we don’t publish nutrition information with our recipes. We believe that (barring specific medical advice to the contrary) if you’re eating primarily whole, healthy foods — an array of sustainably raised vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, meats, fish, eggs, whole-kernel grains, and healthy fats and oils — you probably don’t need to stress about the numbers. We prefer to focus on food quality and trust our bodies to tell us what we need. — The Editors