Tangy Shish Kabab Bread

A while back I came across an intriguing recipe for vegetarian kebabs that included feta cheese, bell peppers, tomatoes, and...bread.  Yes, bread, marinated along with the cheese and veggies and grilled over charcoal.  I was intrigued, so I made the kebabs.

The problem I found is the same one that I find with all kebab recipes—different foods cook at different rates.  When you skewer up alternating cuts of meat, veggies, and whatever, sure it makes a nice presentation, but you usually end up with either some of the food overcooked or some of the food undercooked. 

The solution, of course, is to put each food item on its own skewer, so that they can be turned and removed from the grill individually, as each becomes ready.  I now do this with all kebab recipes, then just slide everything off the skewers and platter it up to serve. 

So, back to the bread.  I do like the combo of the bread with the feta, tomato and pepper, but as I made this kebab again and again, I found myself making lots more of the bread than I did of the cheese and veggies.  The reason...the bread is just dynamite!  It absorbs lots of the flavorful marinade and then gets a nice browning from the hot charcoal fire.  It makes a great side dish or bread course for lots of grilled foods.  And the light, tangy marinade is so tasty you'd swear the bread had been brushed with high-fat butter.   I now often make this bread solo, to go with steaks or a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dish. 

Mediterranean Grilled Bread

Ingredients

1 baguette

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 Teasoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons basil, chopped

1 tablespoon chives, chopped

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Slice the baguette into ¾ to 1 inch thick slices.  Mix all the other ingredients together.  Dip the bread slices in the marinade, then arrange on skewers.  It’s best to skewer them parallel to the slice, so that the skewer goes through the crust, as in the picture below. 

Grill the bread over a charcoal fire for a minute or two a side.  Watch it closely, the bread will char quickly.  You just want to get it nice and golden brown. 

Serve and enjoy.  You’ll be surprised how great this bread it—and with no butter to boot!   It’s a very light way to enjoy bread that is tangy, savory and delicious. 

Give it a try.

Chris