Curly Endive with Beans, Tomatoes, and Croutons

Ingredients

• 1  bay leaf 
• 1.5 pounds salad leaves curly endive chopped
• 0.5 pound navy beans dried
• 1.5 ounce bread french cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 0.3 cup basil fresh minced
• 1 small garlic clove crushed
• 2  garlic cloves minced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil extra-virgin
• 0.3 teaspoon pepper 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 2.3 cups tomatoes diced seeded
• 2 cups water 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• ziploc bags
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. Combine bread cubes and crushed garlic in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal bag, and shake to coat bread cubes. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until toasted.
4. Sort and wash beans, and place in a large Dutch oven. Cover beans with water to 2 inches above beans. Bring beans to a boil, and cook 2 minutes.
5. Remove beans from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour.
6. Drain.
7. Add bay leaf and 2 cups water to beans in pan, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Discard bay leaf.
8. Add curly endive; cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato, basil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Spoon bean mixture into a medium bowl.
9. Drizzle with oil, and top with croutons.
10. Note: Substitute 2 1/2 cups drained canned beans, such as navy, cannellini, or other white beans, for dry beans. Do not soak canned beans.