Monday, July 17, 2006

Orzo Pasta Salad

Last week, while we were in Colorado, we stopped at Deno's Mountain Bistro in Winter Park for a celebratory pitcher of 90 Shilling and an appetizer. I had just ridden up (and back down, amazingly) a ski lift for the very first time and I was a little high on how awesome I was. I wasn't so awesome when riding the lift - more of a blathering shaking mess, actually - but just picture how awesome I was afterward. I was beaming.
We stopped in for lunch and ended up ordering this, this beautiful baked goat cheese "fondue," which was studded with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs. It reminded me how wonderfully sun-dried tomatoes go with just about any type of goat's milk cheese. With that in mind, and with the heat we're experiencing making me really and truly sorry that I came home, I made this pasta salad.
It's refreshing, cool, and a great way to use cherry/grape tomatoes or fresh cucumbers from your garden.

Orzo Pasta Salad
Boil 1 16 oz pkg of orzo pasta until al dente. While pasta boils, small dice 1 seeded cucumber, 1-2 handfuls of grape or cherry tomatoes, 2 bunches of green onions, 8-10 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, and 1 8 oz. block of feta cheese. In a large bowl, mix veggies and cheese together with 1 T. of the sun-dried tomato oil, some fresh grated pepper, a pinch of kosher salt, and 1 T. fresh dill. Mix drained and cooled orzo with ingredients in bowl - splash with red wine vinegar and mix. Add more vinegar to taste. Let cool for at least an hour before eating.

1 comment:

Alanna Kellogg said...

This was the food addiction of the summer awhile back!