Day 4 - Soup-smothered Goodness

So now we've come to the end, um, my friend. The baguette purchased earlier this week is as easy to slice as a big hunk of lead and you're looking at the trash bin as the only place where the remains can rest in peace. But no, I still have one more trick up my sleeve! Keep a glass of wine or a shot of bourbon near; you just might need it if your arms weaken in frustration when trying to break the bread apart. A good bread knife can be used too, but try ripping it apart with your hands first, as irregular chunks are perfect here:

Take a bag of FROZEN PEAS and toss it into a stockpot with a crushed clove (or two) of GARLIC, sliced BASIL and enough water to cover peas. Simmer for ten minutes and then transfer to a food processor. Puree mixture in batches and add SALT and PEPPER to taste. Rip your remaining baguette apart into bite-sized chunks and set in bowl. Ladle soup over bread and let soup permeate as many layers of the bread as you wish. Throw on some jammies and spoon soup-covered bread chunks into your mouth without getting it all over your shirt.

This can be made even quicker with canned soup, such as tomato and jazzed up with a squirt of chili or green Tabasco sauce and a sprinkle of cheese. Or use corn chowder, topped with toasted pine nuts and chopped red pepper.

Day 3 - Bread Salad

By now, your baguette is more tough and chewy and in need of a saw rather than a bread knife, but all is still not lost. You can make this simple bread salad (also known as Panzanella even though it's not that fancy) that requires a few integral ingredients and a lot of imagination. Serve this on a patio with a bottle of rose and you've never had a better meal in the summertime...

Take a handful of FRESH BASIL, roll it into a cigar and chop it crosswise. Quarter some very juicy ROMA or CHERRY TOMATOES and toss into a bowl with the basil. Crush a clove of GARLIC, slice some KALAMATA OLIVES, cube most of the remaining baguette and throw these into the bowl. Add OLIVE OIL and BALSAMIC VINEGAR and SEA SALT and PEPPER to taste. Mix all ingredients and let set for a few minutes so the juices can soak into the bread. Divide equally among bowls and don't regret not buying more olives or basil or tomatoes or bread. Sip some wine. Enjoy the salad and make some more tomorrow - the bread will still be dry and ready for tomato juices and olive oil and vinegar.

More variations - a more common variation of this salad adds evildoers, (I mean, onions) and fresh mozzarella cheese. I tried the salad with the cheese, and even though I'm a huge cheese fan, I thought it stole some thunder from the main show - the bread, tomatoes, basil and olives.

Day 2 - Bruschetta

Today, a day or two after your purchased your baguette, you've already noticed that it's beginning to change - it's not as easy to rip apart, and making a sandwich would require some tough jaws for all that chewing. Never fear, because what doesn't make for eating right out of the bag makes perfect toast. Olive oil and tomato covered toast, that is - bruschetta! Use as much of the baguette as you like, but I recommend to leave some for the recipes for the next few days.

Turn on oven to Broil. Open a can of DICED TOMATOES with GARLIC and BASIL (found right next to plain crushed tomatoes in the supermarket), empty into saucepan and simmer on medium. Slice baguette crosswise into half-inch-thick disks. Brush each side with OLIVE OIL. Toss onto baking sheet and broil for a couple of minutes (watch oven - they can burn very quickly). Using tongs, turn over and brown slightly on the other side. Remove from oven and scoop tomato mixture with a fork onto baguette rounds. Top with shredded MOZZARELLA CHEESE, or leftover FETA CHEESE. Sprinkle with SALT and PEPPER. Serve immediately, and try to stop your family and friends from stampeding right over you to get to them.

Pair with a fabulous Chianti and your night is set!

Again, there can be so many variations with bits of toasted baguette - hummus and kalamata olives with feta, goats cheese with dried cranberries, blue cheese with walnuts and honey. Who knew that day-old bread could be revived into something so wonderful?

Day 1 of the week - Bodacious Baguettes

Baguettes and crusty bread keep me alive. Their firm outer layer cracks away to reveal soft insides that soak up a plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar quicker than I can cram it into my mouth. I can't imagine many meals without any kind of bread, but the baguette has a certain taste that keeps me coming back to it as a lunchtime and dinner staple time and again. Maybe that's why I've decided to start this blog with the staff of life - nobody can resist a freshly-baked loaf (and its aroma!) and at about $1 for a demi-baguette, it's a nice, cheap basic.

For this week, you'll need as many baguettes as you think you need for four "recipes" - as the bread dries out, it only enhances its appeal for a few dishes. But first, let's start with a brand-new loaf, perfect for lunchtime or dinnertime.

This is a variation of a sandwich I stumbled upon in a Paris boulangerie - it was cheap, it was tasty, it was eaten by me almost every day for a week. I don't believe I could recreate it in its entirety, but I've devised a similar sandwich that comes close and is difficult to not eat every day.

Use as much or as little of the ingredients as you wish, including the length of baguette that will tide you over until your next meal (I recommend a third of a long baguette - it will be more than enough)!

In a bowl, mix julienned SUNDRIED TOMATOES in oil, crumbled FETA CHEESE, a dollop of OLIVE OIL and quartered CHERRY TOMATOES. Add SEA SALT and PEPPER to taste. Slice one side of baguette lengthwise and spread with HUMMUS. Fill with tomato/cheese mixture and let set for a couple of minutes so the flavors come together.

I've also tried using roasted red peppers in place of the sundried tomatoes and have added arugula for a peppery punch. Both work amazingly well, but if there's something in your fridge that you'd like to add, do it! You never know until you try...