This is the first thing I have made out of Jamie Oliver’s book 5 Ingredients that was truly horrible.  It was a tomato/bread soup.

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic

1 bunch of fresh basil (1 oz.)

2 (14 oz.) cans of plum tomatoes

8 1/2 oz. stale Ciabatta bread

1 1/2 oz. Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Peel and finely slice the garlic and place in a large pan on a medium heat with 1 T EVOO, stirring regularly.  
2. Pick the baby basil leaves into a bowl of cold water for later, then pick the rest of the leaves into the pan.  
3. Before the garlic starts to color, add the tomatoes 2 cans’ worth of water, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil gently mashing the tomatoes.  
4. Tear in the stale bread, stir, then leave to simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes or until thick and delicious.  
5. Finely grate and stir in the parmesan, then taste and season to perfection.  
6. Dish up, sprinkle over the reserved baby basil leaves, and drizzle each bowlful with 1 T of good EVOO.

I served it with corn on the cob.  I am wondering if it would taste better with fresh tomatoes.