Olivata Croutons

Contributed by John Fleer

Preheat the oven to 400°. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil spray. Arrange the baguette slices on the baking sheet, lightly coat with olive oil spray and bake for about 7 minutes, or until the toasts are golden and crisp. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.
In a small bowl, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in the boiling water until plump, about 10 minutes; drain well. In a mini-processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes with the olives, basil, olive oil and garlic and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed. Transfer to a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Spread each crouton with 1 tablespoon of the olivata mixture and serve.

Make Ahead The olivata can be refrigerated for 3 days. The croutons can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature, also for 3 days.