Bread Salad With Fried Eggplant

Sort of hard to tell the bread from the eggplant as they are similar in colour. What the salad lacks in colour, it makes up for in flavour.I'm calling it a salad, but a quick look at the ingredients ought to indicate this isn't health food.

I had half a loaf of bread going stale and a very inexpensive eggplant waiting to be used. Add to that some fresh parsley, half a jar of marinated red peppers and some olives and it was a hearty meal made essentially from leftovers. I like saving money. Yes, I do.

This is best eaten the day it is made, but it will make it from lunch to dinner without any problem. I'm offering a recipe of sorts, but when it comes to the marinade and what vegetables and cheeses to add, you really can adjust it to your tastes. Hate balsamic vinegar? Use red wine vinegar. You get the idea.

You Will Need:

4 cups stale bread cut into cubes and dried hard(This can be done overnight on a baking sheet or in the oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes or so. You want the bread really stale so that it will not turn mushy in the oil).
1 eggplant, sliced, salted, drained, breaded and fried
10 olives (I used a mix of green and black)
1/4 cup roasted red peppers
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 large bunch parsley leaves, stems removed and leaves chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup Provolone cheese cut into cubes
olive oil/Balsamic vinegar for marinade(I used 1/4 cup oil and 3 tablespoons vinegar, but you can adjust that)
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss it together and let sit about ten minutes for the bread to soak up oil. Serve at room temperature.