Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Greek Orzo Salad

When the weather gets nice we start eating more 'al fresco' . . . the oven stayes off and we enjoy a more casual meal outside on the terrace. Tonight's dinner is a good example - I have lamb chops marinating until it's time to throw them on a hot grill, we have some leftover grilled veggies to heat up, and I decided I needed a nice salad to serve alongside. In cooler weathe we might have roasted potatoes or rice but if I don't have to turn on the stove for a long cooking time after May 1st . . . I don't!

I found this recipe for an Orzo Greek salad at mybakingaddiction.com. Jamie described it like this:

studded the perfectly cooked orzo pasta with crisp vegetables, feta cheese and poured on a homemade Greek dressing this salad will make you swoon!

SOLD!

Even better that I had all of the ingredients. It came togther in less than 30 minutes which is a great thing in these busy times. Like all dressed salads I bet it will taste better and better over time  . . . which means it's going to be really impressive because the 'sample' I nibbled tasted pretty darn good!

Greek Orzo Salad

For the Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove fresh garlic; finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

For the Salad:
1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
1/2 cup grape tomatoes; halved
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/4 red onion; chopped
1/2 red bell pepper; chopped
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
5-10 green olives, drained and halved

Place all the dressing ingredients in a blender and pulse until well incorporated.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Drain.

In large bowl combine pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell peppers, feta and olives. Toss with dressing and chill for at least one 1 hour in refrigerator.

Penne with Ricotta, Arugula, and Basil

We had a wee culinary crisis today.  For the past few months I had planned on making a recipe with roasted brussels sprouts, chicken breasts, and a grainy mustard sauce. The first time I tried to make it the brussels sprouts had gone icky (that being my technical term). Today the chicken breasts were still frozen after 12 hours of sitting on the counter (we live in the cold north). Since I couldn't cook the chicken we switched things up a bit and I made the recipe that Paul had selected for tomorrow evening.

With this recipe from Fine Cooking Parmigiano-Reggiano, ricotta, and lemon zest form the base for a creamy, no-cook pasta sauce that comes together in minutes. Yup. Minutes. Perfect for a Friday evening to bring a hellish week at work to a close.

The best thing was that I found some local ricotta made from Ontario water buffalo - just like one finds in Italy.  Sure it was a bit more expensive than the local 'cow' variety but it was $ 4 dollars cheaper than buffalo ricotta from Italy.

This recipe came together in less than 20 minutes. We loved the interplay between the creamy ricotta, the slightly bitter wilted arugula, and the hint of lemon zest. The sauce was smooth and creamy with a fresh mix of flavours. . . proof that one can make a fine dinner with simple ingredients in less time than it takes ot order a pizza and have it delivered!

Penne with Ricotta, Arugula, and Basil

1 lb. penne pasta
8 oz. whole milk ricotta (about 1 cup)
1 oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup); more for serving
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Fresh ground pepper
5 oz. arugula (about 6 loosely packed cups), coarsely chopped
1.5 oz. basil (about 2 cups loosely packed), coarsely chopped

Bring large pot of well-salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. reserve about 1/3 cup of cooking water and drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, 1 tbsp. of oil, the zest, 1/2 tsp salt, and 3/4 tsp. pepper.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the arugula and basil, and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, tossing with tongs, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the arugula mixture to the bowl with the ricotta and mix well.

Add the hot pasta and toss to coat. Add the reserved cooking liquid as needed to moisten the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with more Parmesan to top if desired.

Curried Pork Noodles

We cook a whole lot of noodles in our kitchen, but the dishes we prepare are almost exclusively Italian. The Mediterranean flavor profile is just more familiar to me, so it's what a gravitate towards. But the moment I stumbled on this recipe at Gourmet.com, I knew I had to cook it. It promised a harmonious blend of curry powder and fish sauce, a spicy and pungent combination that would gloriously coat the noodles and ground pork. I stashed it in the to-cook pile and promptly forgot about it. It languished there for more than two years before I pulled it out last week as part of my dehoarding.

The result was bold and flavorful, the noodles silky, the pepper slightly crunchy, all with an wonderful freshness from the basil and cilantro. I deviated from the recipe by adding extra fish sauce, some chili pepper, matchsticks, and some fried shallots to add a crunch to the top. I din't use reguar basil, instead I tossed in some Thai basil. 

This came together wonderful quickly making it perfect for an evening meal after a hellish day of work. It tasked amazing - I don't know if I have had food from Singapore before but if this is any indication of how complex the flavours are - sign me up!

Curried Pork Noodles

8 ounces thin rice noodles (rice vermicelli)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound ground pork
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into strips
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
3/4 cup coarsely chopped basil
Salt, to taste - we added none, the fish sauce making it salty enough
Sriracha to taste

Cover the rice noodles in boiling water and soak until soft but not mushy, 7 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the soaking water, drain, and transfer to a bowl.

In the meantime, cook the pork, garlic, and chili in 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet, breaking up any chunks, until just cooked through (a little pink is okay as it will cook through later). Remove with a slotted spoon to a small bowl.

Add the remaining oil in the skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add the pepper strips. Cook for 1 minute, then add the onion. Continue cooking until the pepper is almost tender but with a little crunch and the onion is golden, an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the reserved pork along with the curry powder. Cook, stirring often, for 1 minute then stir in the reserve noodle-soaking water. Add the drained noodles along with the fish sauce and herbs. Toss well to combine and serve with more fish sauce, if desired.

Rigatoni with Spicy Tomato-Vodka Sauce

Vodka sauce is an Italian sauce made from a relatively smooth tomato sauce, plus cream, vodka, and typical Italian herbs. It gained popularity in the 1970s, when a variation won a national recipe contest in Italy. It is a key ingredient in penne alla vodka, although it may well have been a sauce before its "invention" in the 1970s. I suspect it's popularity is more a North American thing since vodka isn't exactly Italian . . . The vodkas function is, ostensibly, to release flavors in the tomato that are normally inaccessible; using alcoholic beverages for this purpose is common in Italian cooking, although this is usually accomplished with wine.

I've seen this on all sorts of menus but never ordered it. This week Paul decided it was time to cook a recipe from the folks at Fine Cooking that I had printed off more than a year ago - the dehoarding continues. :-) The recipe comes together quickly and Paul was happy with the process; he barely worked up his 'I'm cooking dinner sweat'.

I was happy with the results - delicious! We found the spiciness to be spot on and loved the freshness that the parsley added. It was a great base recipe - I can imagine all sorts of uses for this sauce in the future.

There are some who might find it a bit on the spicy side - if you're cooking for the elderly, children, or those who think they must eat like one of the aforementioned you may want to decrease the amount of pepper flakes.

Rigatoni with Spicy Tomato-Vodka Sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes; more to taste
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
3 Tbs. vodka
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbs. cream
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb. rigatoni (about 4 cups)

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the garlic and red pepper flakes in the oil until they’re fragrant and sizzle steadily for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and their juices and the vodka, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a steady simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook to intensify the flavors and reduce the sauce slightly (by about one-quarter), 10 to 15 min.

Purée the tomatoes using a hand blender or a regular blender. If you used a regular blender to purée, return the sauce to the saucepan. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano, the parsley, cream, salt and pepper, and more red pepper flakes if you like. Simmer to incorporate the cream and reduce the sauce slightly, about 5 min. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until it’s just tender to the tooth, 10 to 12 min. Drain well and return the pasta to its pot. Add the sauce, set the pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring, to let the pasta absorb some of the sauce, 1 min. Serve immediately with a sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano.

Gorgonzola Walnut Sauce

This is a classic rich sauce from Italy is one of my favorite pasta dishes and also happens to be just about the easiest dish to make. And the quickest too! Like all Italian dishes start with fresh, quality ingredients and you just can't go wrong, you really can't!

If you don’t like gorgonzola, just stop reading now. I won’t take it personally. I may think less of you but I won't be offended. If you do like gorgonzola, this might be one of the best things you have ever tried.

This recipe is by Pamela Sheldon Johns the author of one of my favourite cookbooks - Cucina Povera. The web site wehre I found this recioe attributed to a book called 50 Great Pasta Sauces . . . and this one was great indeed!

Gorgonzola Walnut Sauce

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons heavy cream

6 ounces Gorgonzola

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped, 1 tablespoon reserved

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

1 pound  pasta

 

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and cream over medium heat. Add the cheese and simmer, stirring until melted. Add the walnuts, reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish, and the rosemary, stirring to combine.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and transfer to warmed individual serving plates. Spoon the cheese sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining walnuts. Serve Immediately.

Orecchiette with Fennel, Sausage & Tomatoes

Continuing with the 'clean out the house' - pile of recipes, tons of dry pasta in the cupboard, fresh fennel in the fridge - Paul selected this recipe from Fine Cooking to make for dinner the other night. The folks at Fine Cooking write: 'Make tonight’s dinner feel like a mini vacation to Italy with this quick pasta that pays homage to classic Italian flavors like sweet sausage, fennel, tomatoes, and fresh basil.'  GRRR

A mini-vacation to Italy might come from actually cooking food as one might experience it in Italy. One could go to Olive Garden, eat pasta with a tomato basil sauce (and knowing that chain a gazillion other things) but no one would say 'I had a mini-vacation in Italy'. OK They might, but they'd be confused.

There you have it, mini rant directed to the writers at Fine Cooking.

The recipe itself was great. Paul pulled it together in record time and we both enjoyed the flavours even if it weren't a mini vacation to Italy (which we would have enjoyed as well *smile*).

Orecchiette with Fennel, Sausage & Tomatoes

Kosher salt
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
1 large fennel bulb (about 1-1/4 lb.), quartered, cored, and finely chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups fresh (or canned) seeded diced tomatoes, drained if using canned
12 basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb. dried orecchiette
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.

Heat 1-1/2 Tbs. of the oil in a 10-inch straight-sided saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a metal spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate and pour off and discard any fat left in the pan.

Set the pan over medium heat and add the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. oil, the fennel, and 1 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring, until the fennel softens and browns lightly, about 6 minutes. Raise the heat to high, add the wine, and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits, until almost evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the sausage, tomatoes, half of the basil, the red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down, 6 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the orecchiette in the boiling water, stirring frequently until just tender, about 11 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain well. Return the pasta to the pot, add the sauce, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, for 1 minute so the sauce and pasta meld. If the pasta seems dry, add enough cooking water to moisten it to your liking. Stir in half of the pecorino, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve sprinkled with the remaining pecorino and basil.

Romanesco Broccoli Pasta with Ricotta Cheese

A few weeks ago I spied a large Romanesco Broccoli during the last local farmer's market of the year. I've heard so much about this beautiful veggie but had never seen one for sale here before. Of course it came home with me - a food adventure, as it were. I had no idea what to do with it or if we'd like the taste but a foodie does NOT allow such opportunities to fly by. I think if I had walked on past that lovely Romanesco broccoli some secret agent would have arrived at my door and demanded the return of my Kitchen Aid tools.

If you think veggies are boring, then you've never seen the likes of Romanesco broccoli. See the way each little peak spirals around? And then notice how each little bunch then spirals around the whole head? This is called a fractal form, or a self-similar pattern. There are lots of examples in nature of fractal forms, but the Romanesco broccoli is one of the most perfect apparently sending mathematicians into a lather!

Romanesco broccoli is not really a true broccoli, it's more properly classified as a cauliflower, and a lot of people do know it as such. It's quite common in Italy but not seen as often in Canada.

While searching for a recipe to try the thought of a pasta dish was at the back of my mind. I googled 'romanecso broccoli pasta' and 100s of recipes popped up on the screen. Of course the one that caught my eye was by none other than Rachael Ray.

SIGH

Now, I know some folks love Rachael. I do not. I find her annoying. She's too perky for words. She smiles so much I am afraid for the day her face explodes on network television. Speaking of words - I loathe all of those cute words she creates for things. Loathe. Loathe. Loathe. I think I could stomach all of the rest of it weren't for that.

Did I say I LOATHE those cute words?

Lest you think I'm a hyper-critical tool with nothing positive to say . . . I have cooked a Rachael Ray recipe before and I quite liked it. Since I am known for having a wide-open mind I decided to give this one a try - it sounded delicious with a great combination of fresh ingredients.

This recipe came together quickly and we LOVED it. Yes. I LOVED a recipe by a celebrity cook who I LOATHE. The fresh ingredients played well together and the meal came together far more quickly than I had expected- in fact Paul almost didn't get the salad made in time it was that fast.

Now lest you think 'I can't find one of those Romanesco thingies' and forget about trying this recipe, there is hope . . . you can substitute cauliflower or broccoli. You don't want to miss out on this delicious pasta. You can play around with it a bit too - adding some cooked chicken breast would be a tasty addition I think.

Romanesco Broccoli Pasta with Ricotta Cheese

1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 head Romanesco broccoli (Roman cauliflower),  cut into small florets and stems thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 box mezze rigatoni, other short cut pasta
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Heat EVOO in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Add onions and garlic to pan, and season with salt, pepper and bay. Stir and cook 8-10 minutes to soften. Add wine to the pan, stir 1 minute then add stock. Arrange Romanesco, broccoli or cauliflower over onions and add crushed red pepper, lemon zest and rosemary to the pan. Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drop pasta in boiling water after veggies have been cooking 3-4 minutes. Cook pasta to al dente. Add ladleful of starchy pasta cooking water to the veggies. Drain pasta and toss it into the pot with sauce. Stir in ricotta cheese, thyme and grated Pecorino. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve pasta in shallow bowls.

Dracula's Revenge

A month has flown by and it is time for another Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club - a great opportunity to get together with a wonderful group of folks and enjoy good food and fun. This month's theme has us thinking about Hallowe'en - everyone is either bringing something Halowe'en-ie or orange/black to the party. I found this recipe on the CL site and thought - BINGO!

Now lest you think I am off exploring some bad horror genre let me assure you that this is a casserole with plenty of roasted garlic - hence the name. Mind you, I know enough about the horror genre to know that garlic wouldn't be the revenge of Dracula but the end. Regardless this post is about a casserole and if you've googled and popped here expecting to find a tale of lusty, blood sucking vampires you best click on for you shall be disappointed.

This is a tale of a delicious casserole. 2 heads (yes, heads) of garlic are roasted first - a step I did some days before assembling the casserole. Then 1 lb of turkey sausage is cooked and mixed with fresh rosemary and sage.  All that is left to do is to whip up a low-fat cheese sauce, mix it with 8 cups of cooked penne, the sausage, and the roasted garlic and voila - you have a delicious casserole ready for the oven.

When I made this casserole I was getting ready to travel to Italy (we leave tomorrow) so I was trying to not buy many groceries and things. This turned out to bea good thing since I only had 5 cups of milk. The recipe calls for 6, I only had 5 so this is what I used. Later I read reviews from others online who complained about the sauce being soupy. HA There are times when not having enough ingredients can be a stroke of good fortune. The sauce was just fine with 5 cups.

Now about that garlic. We love garlic and my cloves were GIANT cloves fresh from a local Ontario farm. I always get annoyed when a recipe says something like a head of garlic as a head can be giant or tiny. If you're a titch garlic phobic and you have giant garlic heads laying about you may only want to roast one. We used two and it was tasty but if you weren't a fan of the garlic you might be put off.

All in all this was a great casserole. I bet no one will know that it is low-fat . . .shhhhhh

Dracula's Revenge (Baked Penne with Sausage and Garlic)

2 whole garlic heads
1 pound sweet turkey Italian sausage
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
8 cups hot cooked penne (about 1 pound uncooked tube-shaped pasta) or rigatoni
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove white papery skin from garlic heads (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap each head separately in foil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Set garlic aside.

Increase oven temperature to 400°.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Place sausage in a large bowl; stir in sage and rosemary.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add the flour to melted butter, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add the milk; cook until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk (about 10 minutes). Stir in roasted garlic, cheeses, salt, and pepper. Remove mixture from heat. Add 5 1/2 cups cheese sauce and cooked pasta to sausage, stirring to coat. Spoon pasta mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining sauce. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Be sure to pop on over and see what the lovely ladies I have the pleasure of 'meeting' with each month have brought to the party:

Sandi of The Whistlestop Cafe starts us off with Devilish Eggs.

Mary Ann of Meet Me in the Kitchen brings along Sweet Potato and Black Bean Empanadas.

Val contributed this delicious looking Roasted Squash Soup with Turkey Croquettes.

Roz of La Bella Vita ends our meal on a sweet note with Chocolate Spiderweb Cookies.

Jamie of Mom's Cooking Club made one of the recipes featured in the latest Cooking Light article on that hi-lighted Adult Hallowe'en treats . . . Devilishly Divine Peanut Butter Caramel Corn.

Good times folks, good times!

Grilled Salmon with Orzo Salad

Yesterday was a full day for us, yes it was. It involved 5 wineries, lots of wine tasting, a cheese factory, a food truck, and lots of discussion about what we were tasting, the merits of one vintage or varietal versus another and so on. Needles to say by the time we arrived home we were wiped. Thank goodness it was Paul's turn to cook.

He had selected a recipe from the cookbook that our wonderful friend Sandi gave us for Christmas:  Bottega Favoritaby Frank Stitt. We've made a few recipes from his book and we love them - a great Italian take on seasonal, locally sourced foods. I’m still waiting for someone to invite me to Birmingham where we can visit Frank's restaurant in person!!

Anyway, the recipe Paul selected was Salmon with Orzo Salad. It's an ideal recipe - few ingredients; bold, fresh flavours; quick and easy to prepare; and very healthy.  Paul followed the recipe as printed with one exception - we brushed the salmon with olive oil and grilled it rather than pan searing it. The result was every bit as wonderful as we had hoped - sure this would eb a quick and delicious weeknight dinner but the presentation and flavour is impressive enough that your guests would be thrilled to see it on the table at a dinner party.

Salmon with Orzo Salad

1½ cups orzo
About 1 tablespoon olive oil
Four 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets, any pin bones removed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup corn kernels (from about 3 ears of corn)
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1 shallot or ¼ red onion, minced
¼ cup pitted Kalamata or Nicoise olives, coarsely chopped
¼ cup basil leaves, torn into little pieces or cut into chiffonade, plus 4 small sprigs for garnish
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons L’Estornell Spanish garnacha vinegar or other good-quality red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Grated lemon zest for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat, then add just enough olive oil to barely coat the bottom of the pan. Season the salmon with sea salt and pepper, place in the hot skillet, and cook until the fish is lightly golden on the first side and the edges are beginning to turn opaque, about 4 minutes. Turn the salmon and transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking, about 4 minutes for medium-rare, or about 6 minutes for medium. Transfer the fillets to a rack and keep warm.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente, 5 – 7 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with a splash of oil.

Stir the corn, tomatoes, shallot or onion, olives, torn basil, and salt and pepper to taste into the orzo. Add the vinegar, drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil, and toss to coat. Taste for seasonings and adjust to your liking.

Place a large spoonful of the orzo on each serving plate and top with a salmon fillet. Garnish each plate with a little lemon zest, if desired, and a sprig of basil.

Serves 4

Pasta, Peas, Shrimp, and Buttermilk-Herb Dressing

OMG

It is stinking hot and humid. Send coooolllll martinis forthwith.

In this kind of weather all I really wnat for dinner is something cool, light, and refreshing tasting. I also don't want to spend hours in the kitchen. This pasta salad from the June Cooking Light magazine looked interesting.

It was described as quick and easy.

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The dressing appeared to be refreshingly tangy with plenty of fresh herbs.

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It didn't require a great deal of effort (particularly important when it is so humid that one can work up a sweat just sitting).

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I had everything that was required on hand.

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What was the verdict?

I loved it. The only change I made was to use a pasta other than the orecchiette that was called for - I have lots of pasta in the pantry and didn't see the need to buy more. This salad gets better the longer it sits - we had it for dinner last night and it was very good. I had more at lunch today and it was amazing - what a difference when the fresh herbs and garlic have an opportunity to blend.

If it is stinking hot where you are and a refreshing pasta salad with fresh veggies, shrimp, and a tangy buttermilk dressing seems to be what the doctor called for then give this one a try.

Pasta, Peas, Shrimp, and Buttermilk-Herb Dressing

8 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta
1 cup shelled green peas (about 1 pound unshelled green peas) or frozen green peas
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add peas and shrimp during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.

Combine pasta mixture and radishes in a large bowl. Combine mayonnaise and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Pour over pasta mixture, tossing to coat. Cover and let stand 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature, or cover and chill until ready to serve.