“Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.” – EB White
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, and sometimes some photos of family fun. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
This week we experienced the wonder of flying in a hot air balloon over the St. Croix. A hot air balloon ride was on John’s bucket list and I bought the tickets to celebrate his birthday… two years ago!! It turns out winds in Minnesota are very changeable so we had to be patient while waiting for our schedules and peaceful weather to come together… but it was worth it. It couldn’t have been a more perfect morning ride!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
I found some orzo left in the cupboard and had a craving for a pasta vegetable salad. This recipe from recipes.com did the trick! I got a fresh cucumber from a seller and used the whole thing!
MEDITERRANEAN ORZO SALAD
SALAD
- 8 ounces uncooked orzo (heaping cup)
- 1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup pitted Mediterranean olives, cut in half
- 1 cup finely diced Asiago cheese
VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite about 9-10 minutes. Drain well. Rinse with cold water and drain well again.
Combine orzo, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, olives and Asiago cheese in a large bowl.
Whisk garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a small bowl to make the vinaigrette. Drizzle over the orzo mixture and toss lightly to combine. Add basil and parsley and mix well. Let sit for 20 minutes for flavors to blend, stirring occasionally.
