Freshly made croutons are the type of food that could easily be consumed as a snack before dinner. Making them also provides a way to make use of bread that is a little dry from they day before. It also does not matter a huge amount what kind of bread is used, though obviously this will provide for variations in the final product.

Cut the bread into cubes that are a little smaller than an inch. About two cups of cubes is a good amount. To allow for some to be eaten prior to the creation of the salad, it is excellent to make a good amount! There is nothing wrong with sampling a few of the croutons to make sure that they are good. Since they will be, more can be eaten before they are used for salad.

Place a few paper towels on a large plate so that it is ready when the croutons are cooked.

Put about a fourth of a cup of olive oil in a large skillet. Heat to medium heat. Add half of a teaspoon of dried Italian herbs and one large clove of garlic that is sliced in four or five slices. Use a spatula to stir the herbs and garlic to season the oil. When the garlic starts to turn golden, quickly remove it with a spatula and discard.

Add a handful of bread cubes and stir them so that every side gets brown and every piece becomes crisp. Place them on the plate and sprinkle with a small amount of salt. Continue to cook all of the croutons.

To make the salad, crush a clove of garlic into a large bowl. Add about a forth of a cup of olive oil. Next add about two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and about a teaspoon honey. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and stir everything together to combine the ingredients. Cut a carrot into two inch-long matchstick pieces. Also chop half a cucumber into thin slices and cut eat of these slices into quarters. Finely chop one quarter of a red onion. Chop a Roma tomato into quarter-inch cubes. Chop half a dozen leaves of Romaine lettuce.

Add the lettuce to the bowl and toss. Then add the chopped vegetables and continue to toss. Add as many croutons as you want to consume along with some crumbled feta and some freshly ground pepper.