Dinner tonight could be a easy meal if we decided to celebrate May 13th National Crouton Day #NationalCroutonDay because we could make Chef Salads for everyone and Charlie would be able to get Croutons which he loves and I could invite my sister to come have a Salad with us since we didn’t see each other on Mother’s Day.
Would you like to join us? Charlie will be making the Chef Salads as part of his Homeschool Home Economics class and I will be looking up how to make Homemade Croutons and a Italian Dressing for David and Ranch for Charlie and Debbie. Before you ask I think I will either have Ranch or Catalina. Or is there something else you would like?
Crouton’s bring us a crispy-crunchy goodness that comes from the Crotuon and really can’t be beat for a Salad topping. Croutons are often unassuming and probably fairly happy to be a sidekick, it’s time to pay respect and let Croutons be the star of the show, at least for this one special day.+
Did you know Croutons have a history that can be traced back to the Country of France. Well, at least the word “Crouton” has its roots in the French language which comes from the word croûte, which means “crust”. This is likely because the original Croutons were made from the crusts of day-old Bread that had gone a bit stale but could be cut into cubes and toasted with Herbs and Butter to keep from wasting food.
National Crouton Day began in 2015 when National Crouton Day was established by Rothbury Farms, a family owned business located in the United States. The idea for National Crouton Day was presented in February of that year and the first celebration took place on May 13, 2015.
As far as Rothbury Farms is concerned, the best Croutons should be made starting with fresh Bread that is carefully toasted and then seasoned with Spices, Herbs and sometimes Cheeses which you don’t have to have. The result is a super crunchy, amazingly flavorful bit of zest and interest that can be added to any Salad or Soup to make the dish tastier.
Whether throwing a whole party in honor of Croutons or just sharing Croutons with a friend, National Crouton Day comes with many options for observing the Holiday. Or come up with a few of your own ideas or have fun with some of these: The most standard and expected way to pay respect to the Crouton might be to simply eat a Garden Salad that is topped with Croutons and a Salad Dressing. Or choose to add Croutons to a traditional Caesar Salad.
Some people might want to make things a bit more interesting on National Crouton Day by placing Croutons on top of a bowl of Soup, using Croutons as a garnish with Chili, or even try putting Croutons in scrambled Eggs. Actually, Croutons are so delicious that they can even just be eaten as a snack all by themselves!
Recipe for Croutons
When there’s a bit of stale Bread left in the bread box, don’t just throw it away! Repurpose that day-old Bread and make it into Croutons. Start by cutting the Bread into small squares and place the Bread on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with Olive Oil, and toss with Spices. Bake until golden, turning once halfway through, about 15-20 minutes.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
