Missions Trip Salad

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Spread walnuts, sunflower seeds, and corn on pan in a single layer. Roast in the oven 8-10 minutes until the nuts are a golden brown and give off an aroma. Set aside in a dish to cool.
2. On the same pan, place tomatoes cut side down and broccoli florets. The nuts should have given off enough oil to not need to spray the pan. Roast in oven for about 20-30 minutes, until the tomatoes are shriveled on the outside, but with a little juice left inside. I like to then turn the oven on broil for 3-4 minutes to get a blackened edge on the tomatoes. Then set broccoli and tomatoes aside to cool.
3. While your nuts and vegetables are roasting, begin preparing your green base. Combine romaine, spinach, and cabbage in a large bowl. Mix in the carrots and cucumbers.
4. Once everything has cooled, toss broccoli and tomatoes into the salad and top with nuts and corn. Avoid over-mixing as the nuts and corn tend to fall to the bottom of the dish. Finally, top with homemade croutons (recipe follows) and sprinkle with oregano, basil, and pepper. Serve with a Balsamic Vinaigrette or dressing of your choice.

Homemade Croutons:
Preheat oven to 400F and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Cube Italian loaf into 1-inch squares. Arrange cubes on pan in a single layer and spray over them with cooking spray. Sprinkle with oregano, basil, garlic salt, and Parmesan cheese and mix croutons around pan with a wooden spoon to evenly coat. Bake, stirring once or twice, for about 10 to 15 minutes until the croutons are crisp and brown on the outside, but still somewhat soft inside. Let cool before adding them to salad.