Today, it’s all about orzo. Two salads which not only will keep the chef cool, but will please his or her hungry hoardes, a win-win for sure.
Our first recipe is my somewhat-of-a-riff on Theresa L.‘s delectable orzo salad.
I added 1 cup uncooked orzo to 2 cups boiling water in a 2-quart saucepan to cook to al dente in 9 minutes.
This recipe makes a lot of lemon vinaigrette. I used about one-half of it to dress my orzo salad. But, no worries, because it’s a good dressing for lots of salads. Or, more orzo, whichever comes first.
I did add goat cheese to my salad, 3 ounces of Sweet Pea Chevre Cheese with garlic, oregano, and olive oil. Sweet Pea Cheese is made by the Hayes family of North Granby, Ct. and sold at the Longmeadow Farmers’ Market every Thursday.
Orzo salad with fresh herbs and summer veggies
Orzo Salad
½ cup fresh corn, cooked & cut from the cob, canned, or frozen
½ cup fresh baby spinach, roughly torn or chopped
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped or torn into small pieces
½ cup fresh basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, very finely minced
½ small red onion, cut into 1-inch dice
1 small to medium sized cucumber, peeled, sliced & diced into 1-inch cubes
1 cup uncooked orzo
Good olive oil, a few drops
3 ounces goat cheese, cut into small pieces, optional, amount to suit taste
Lemon Vinaigrette
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil(evoo)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste, about 3-4 turns of the peppermill
Measure and prepare all ingredients before you begin.
Remove cooked corn from one freshly cooked ear of corn. If fresh isn’t available use canned or frozen corn.
Layer several spinach leaves, one on top of another and roughly chop or tear. Repeat until you have 1/2 cup spinach.
Chop or tear mint leaves into small pieces.
Slice the basil in a chiffonade style. At one time, stack 10-12 basil leaves one on top of the other. Roll the stacked leaves like a cigar and chop thin, horizonal, slices or strips from the top of the stack to the bottom. Repeat until you have 1/2 cup of the basil chiffonade.
Chop the flat leaf parsley to a fine mince.
Cut half of a small red onion into a small dice.
Peel one small to medium cucumber. Slice, then cut each slice into quarters.
Bring 2 cups salted water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add a pinch of kosher salt and a splash of the olive oil to boiling water if you wish. Once the water is boiling, add the orzo. Reduce to a solid simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, until orzo is cooked to al dente. Drain orzo and pour into a large bowl.
As the orzo cooks, make the dressing: Whisk oil and fresh lemon juice in small bowl or shake in a resealable jar to emulsify. Season with pinch of salt and a few turns of pepper. Drizzle some of the dressing over the hot orzo. Toss well. Allow orzo to cool for at least 15 minutes before adding the herbs and veggies.
Add the corn, spinach, mint, basil, parsley, red onion, and cucumber to the orzo. Toss well. Shake the dressing to keep emulsified, then, drizzle more dressing over assembled salad. Toss well again.
Gently toss in cheese, if using. Allow the salad to sit for 30 minutes to serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Makes 4 servings.
Second chances are sweet and wonderful, and Theresa L.‘s recipe, just like the Neowise Comet, has come again. Best to clip it today, because who knows when T.L.‘s recipe will return. Undoubtedly, sooner than the Neowise which won’t be back for 6,800 years.
Theresa L.‘s Roasted Shrimp & Orzo from Ina
Kosher salt
½ cup good olive oil, plus more as needed
3//4 pound, orzo, about 2 cups
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 3 lemons
freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined, 16-18 count for jumbo shrimp,
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium dice
½ cup small diced red onion
¾ pound good feta cheese, large dice
Preheat oven to 400˚.
Fill a large pot with water. Add 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil. Bring water to a boil. Add orzo and simmer for 9-11 minutes until orzo is cooked al dente. Drain and pour cooked orzo into a large bowl.
Whisk together the lemon juice, ½ cup good olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour this dressing over the hot pasta and stir well to incorporate and coat warm orzo with the dressing.
Meanwhile place prepared shrimp on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over all. Toss to combine, then, spread shrimp into a single layer. Roast until shrimp are cooked through, 5-6 minutes, less time for smaller shrimp. Do not overcook.
Add the roasted shrimp to the orzo. Then, add scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well.
Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight.
Suggestions for Recipe Exchange can be emailed to Ellen Clifford McGuire at emcliffordmcguire@hotmail.com, or mailed to Recipe Exchange, P.O. Box 461, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. For more meal ideas, visit masslive.com/cooking
July 20, 2020 at 10:13AM
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Recipe Exchange: Two delicious salads - masslive.com
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