RECIPE: What to do with Homemade Bread Crumbs

[a tip from Ann] 

Everytime you have some leftover good bread, slice and lightly toast the leftovers in your toaster, oven or toaster oven. Real cooks recommend removing the crusts; I don't bother. (Honestly, I don't even toast it first. I just grind up the old bread.)

Pulse in food processor until the bread becomes crumbs. I store them in a ziploc bag in my freezer. These have many uses: you can saute them in a pan with a little oil and add any seasonings of your choice such as garlic, herbs, or a bit of grated cheese. Use them to top roasted vegetables (broccoli, asparagus), sauteed greens in garlic, gratins, or pasta dishes (especially good when made with garlic and parmesan and used to top pasta with pesto). You can also use them for coating meat or fish for sauteing or frying.

Being a midwestern cheapskate I had stored up bags of these in the freezer and they were driving my husband crazy. Once we knew we were moving this summer I started trying to use everything up and started putting bread crumbs on everything and now we are out! They taste great and the little bit of crunchy texture is a great complement to so many dishes.

RECIPE: Strawberry-Almond Bread with Strawberry Sauce

2 cups fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped
3 cups cake flour, sifted
1 cup sugar, granulated
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Put the chopped strawberries in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In the bowl of a mixer, add the eggs, oil and vanilla and mix on low. Slowly add the dry ingredients. When thoroughly combined, remove the bowl and fold in the strawberries and almonds with a spatula.

Bake in a bread pan greased with butter or oil.

This bread is not terribly sweet, so I serve it with a fresh strawberry sauce. To make this, simply chop fresh strawberries, cook them until they have totally broken down, and add the amount of sweetener that suits your tastes. Let it cool completely before using.