Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons

My plan for the week was to center meals around zucchini and corn. While searching for corn recipes, I decided on two that focused on corn and tomato combinations. The only problem? I ended up using all of the corn in the corn chowder (how could I forget to scale down?). I planned on returning to the store to buy more corn, but instead I stumbled upon this Smitten Kitchen recipe. It looked so simple and delicious (and would use up my 5 tomatoes!) that I was powerless to resist. I'm glad I gave in, because this was as tasty as the photos promised.

Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons (Adapted, only slightly, from Ina Garten)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups bread from a French boule, in a 1/2-inch dice, crusts removed (I used most of a Premiere Moisson baguette and left the crust on)
2 1/2 pounds tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice (I used 5 plum tomatoes ... not sure how much that is, but it worked)
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup thinly slivered basil leaves, lightly packed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add the bread cubes and stir so that they are evenly coated with oil. Cook cubes, tossing frequently, until toasty on all sides, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
4. When the bread cubes are toasted, add the tomato mixture to the sauté pan and cook them together, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, and stir in the basil.
6. Pour into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish and top with Parmesan cheese.
7. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm with a big green salad, a bean salad and/or a poached egg.