I came upon this dish at Food52, one of my favorite foodie sites. It sounded so delicious and perfect as a side for the fresh fish I just bought. And knowing that it was an Ina Garten creation sealed the deal.
There is just handful of ingredients needed to bring this dish together. What makes it so inviting is that each ingredient is full of flavor and they all unite in a tasty bowl of orzo.
Although its shape is similar to long grain rice, orzo won’t be found where rice is stocked at the market. Make your way to the pasta aisle and you’ll find it there. Orzo, Italian for barley (named for its similar shape), can be found in many soup and broth recipes as well as pasta salads and side dishes like this one.
My very favorite feta is Mt. Vikos made from sheep and goat’s milk. It is creamy and not too salty. Many people who are lactose intolerant find this cheese easier to digest than cow’s milk feta.
The original recipe calls for serving the orzo hot. However, I have served it cold and at room temperature as a side dish for a sandwich or as an addition to a green salad. It is very versatile.
Bring 2 quarts of water water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of fine sea salt and the orzo to the pot. Bring water back to a boil, then reduce heat to a lively simmer. Cook orzo for 9 minutes or until just al dente. Drain well and transfer to a wide bowl.
Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, olive oil, salt and pepper. Fold in diced feta. To serve, transfer to a bowl or platter. Sliced tomatoes are a nice accompaniment to the orzo if serving it at room temperature or chilled as a side dish.
This dish typifies a summery meal that is refreshing and can be prepared with minimal time spent at the stove. The ramen takes just a few minutes to cook and the pesto itself is quick to make and does not require any cooking. The bright flavors of fresh basil, pistachios and lemon will delight your palate.
To make things easier, buy shelled, salted pistachios. Shelled or not, they make a tasty snack while you are preparing the dish.
During the summer months when the temperatures reach into the 90’s, there’s not much we can grow successfully in the garden. But herbs such as basil can take the brutal heat and grow nicely all year long.
This pesto does not call for cheese which makes it the perfect pesto for vegetarians, vegans, and those who are lactose intolerant. The pistachios provide all the richness necessary.
I use fresh Sun Noodle ramen (soup base packets are discarded) that I buy at Island Grocery here on Maui. I like the texture of the curly noodles and the way the pesto clings to them. If you don’t have access to fresh ramen by all means use your favorite dried ramen or pasta.
This delicious pesto ramen is definitely going into my regular rotation. We made a frittata the following morning with the leftovers and it was so delicious.
¼ cup roasted and salted shelled pistachios, plus more for serving
1 small garlic clove, smashed and peeled
1 cup tightly packed basil leaves
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon: 2 tablespoons lemon juice + zest of half the lemon and a few wedges for serving
2 packages fresh ramen (about 10-13 ounces)
Preparation
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, combine the pistachios, garlic and basil in a food processor. Pulse until very finely chopped, scraping down the bowl as needed. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the olive oil, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (use 1½ tablespoons for less tangy sauce). Mix well and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cook the ramen according to directions on the package, discarding any seasoning packets that may have come with the ramen. Drain noodles in a colander and rinse under cool water just until noodles are warm. Shake the colander to remove excess water. Transfer noodles to bowl with pesto.
Toss until the noodles are evenly coated with the pesto. Taste and add more lemon juice, oil and salt if needed. Divide among serving dishes. Top with additional chopped pistachios and lemon slices (optional)
This is a lovely, summery pasta dish whose ingredients can be adjusted to include whatever fresh veggies you might have on hand. Now that corn is in season, make sure to include it along with the bacon (yum). I do love the bright green specks of zucchini tucked in-between the orecchiette, but that’s not to say that you couldn’t switch it out for another green vegetable such as julienned kale or thin strips of asparagus. Whatever you choose, keep in mind they should be cut, grated, or sliced into petite sizes so they meld nicely with the orecchiette.
Orecchiette is the perfect pasta for this dish. The domed shape of this pasta is ideal for catching the little nuggets of corn, bacon, and zucchini.
Bacon = Happiness.
The zucchini is grated and salted before being squeezed to extract as much liquid as possible. This will ensure you do not end up with watery pasta. The final dish is a bowlful of summer flavors.
4 slices thick bacon, cut crosswise into ¼-inch pieces
1 medium garlic clove, peeled and crushed
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
2 medium green zucchini, ends trimmed
½ pound orecchiette
2 ears corn, kernels cut from the cobs
1 tablespoon roughly chopped or torn basil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil for finishing
grated parmesan cheese for serving
Preparation
Grate the squash on a box grater or large hole grater. Place grated squash in a bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, and up to 30 minutes.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large saute pan with crushed garlic clove over medium heat. Cook until the bacon is crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard the garlic clove.
Once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, take fistfuls of the salted squash and squeeze firmly to extract liquid. Set aside in a bowl.
Drain the pasta but don't shake it; you want a little pasta water to help create a sauce. Pour it back in the pot. Add the pressed squash, corn kernels and bacon to the pot. Toss everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle in a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Add basil and red pepper flakes if using. Toss once before serving and sprinkle with grated parmesan.
Cold noodle dishes have always been a favorite of mine, especially during the summer when it is blazing hot. Dressings and sauces made with light miso are always so tasty. I enjoy its mild and slightly sweet flavor. This is such an easy meal to throw together if you are short on time. You can make it in advance, just leave the dressing out until you are ready to serve it.
Hakubaku dried ramen is a good choice if you can find it. Otherwise use your favorite ramen or substitute it with thin spaghetti.
With just a handful of ingredients, you can quickly put together a satisfying lunch. The Fresno pepper adds a little bit of heat, and a beautiful firecracker red color.
The miso dressing is also excellent tossed with crispy greens such as iceberg lettuce, watercress, red and green cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and radishes.
For its ease and flavor, this has become a new favorite dish of mine no matter what time of the year it may be.
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons grapeseed or canola oil
8 ounces dry ramen
roasted sesame seeds for serving
cilantro sprigs for serving (optional)
Preparation
Heat water for ramen in a large pot. Meanwhile, cut Fresno chile in half lengthwise (I use disposable gloves when handling chile peppers). Remove the ribs and seeds (leave ribs in for spicier flavor). Slice into strips and finely chop.
Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise into ¼-inch thick half-moons. Thinly slice green onions.
Cut ½ lime into wedges for serving. Juice the other half along with the second lime into a small dish, until you have 2 tablespoons.
Whisk together 2 tablespoons lime juice, miso, sesame oil, brown sugar and garlic in a small bowl until smooth. Slowly whisk in grapeseed oil until dressing is smooth and thick. Whisk in water 1 tablespoon at a time until dressing is the consistancy of heavy cream (1½ - 2 tablespoons). Set aside.
Cook ramen according to package instructions. Rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly, shaking off any excess water (excess water will dilute the dressing). Transfer noodles to a large bowl and toss with the sauce. Add chile, cucumbers, and green onions. Toss again. Divide noodles among shallow bowls. Top with roasted sesame seeds, sprigs of cilantro if using, and lime wedges.
If you’re looking for a tasty summer dish that isn’t time consuming, this tuna udon salad should be at the top of your list. Besides being absolutely delicious, it is a beautiful bowl filled with udon noodles, rich and flavorful tuna in olive oil, crisp cucumbers, radishes and watercress. Feel free to come up with your own version using different vegetables such as shredded iceberg lettuce or red cabbage, julienned carrots, bean sprouts and so on. Ever since I spotted this recipe on Carolyn’s Food Gal blog I knew it was something I would thoroughly enjoy. I tweaked the recipe a bit by omitting the wakame which I have never been a big fan of, but use it if you fancy it.
Be sure to use a good canned tuna in olive oil for this dish. Tuna in olive oil is silky, tender and so flavorful. I recently read an article in Cook’s Illustrated that rated canned tuna in olive oil. Ortiz took top honors as did Tonnino (6.7 ounce jar). But these brands may be difficult to find. However, they also recommended a few brands that are more widely available; Starkist Selects solid yellowfin tuna in extra virgin olive and Wild Planet albacore in extra virgin olive oil.
I sliced the vegetables very thin so they melded nicely with the silky noodles and buttery tuna. Placing the sliced radishes in an ice water bath for a few minutes helps to crisp them up.
There are so many miso options these days, I always have a few tubs of them on hand. I am quite fond of Cold Mountain’s mellow white miso. It lends the perfect flavor to many dishes, including the dressing for this recipe.
The dressing for this tuna noodle salad is very simple to make. Whisk the ingredients in a bowl and you’re all set. The dressing would also be excellent for any crunchy salad such as iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, red and green cabbage.
6 ounces dried udon noodles (Hakubaku is a good choice)
1 small Japanese cucumber, thinly sliced
1 medium red radish, thinly sliced and soaked in an ice water bath for 10 minutes
handful of watercress, chopped (optional)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
nori, cut into thin strips
1 can tuna in olive oil, drained slightly (I used Ortiz)
1 teaspoon furikake or roasted sesame seeds
Dressing:
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman recommended)
2 tablespoons mellow miso paste
Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the udon noodles and cook according to package instructions. Pour the noodles into a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain very well. Set aside.
In a small bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
Transfer the drained noodles to large bowl (it's best if the noodles are free of any water to ensure the dressing doesn't get diluted). Add some of the dressing to the noodles, tossing to coat them thoroughly. Divide the noodles among 2 bowls (shallow rather than deep). Arrange the cucumbers, radishes, watercress, green onions and nori around the perimeter of each bowl. Place the tuna in the center of the bowls, sprinkle with furikake or sesame seeds. Serve extra dressing on the side.
Last summer we had an incredibly large tomato harvest from just two Early Girl plants. The fruit kept coming and soon they were piled high in baskets on our dining table. Having made fresh sauce and freezing it on many occasions, our freezer was already maxed out with other foods with little room for more. I was very happy to come across a water bath safe canned tomato sauce recipe. This recipe is adapted from Jami Boys of An Oregon Cottage. It is a great recipe and we are so happy to have found it.
Roasting the tomatoes gives the sauce a wonderful flavor and gorgeous color. And being able to keep the jars shelf stable for 18 months is absolutely the way to go. We regularly send care packages with homemade jams, peppers and pickles to our children. We have increased our product selection with this terrific sauce.
Early Girls are amazing tomatoes. They are juicy, meaty, and have a particularly deep red color.
This time we also harvested and used these beautiful Katana beefsteak tomatoes.
The halved and seeded tomatoes are placed in a pan with a bit of olive oil, dash of balsamic vinegar, onions, garlic, dried herbs and seasoning (salt & pepper) and roasted for about 40 minutes.
I recommend using meaty tomatoes for a luscious, thick sauce. If the tomatoes are more on the watery side, you may end up with mostly tomato skins once they have roasted.
The onions and herbs smell divine as the tomatoes roast.
The fastest and easiest way to remove the tomato skins is with a food mill. Place a large pot under the food mill and process the tomatoes in batches. If you don’t have a food mill, pinch off the skins then pulse the tomatoes a few times in a food processor. Try to keep the sauce a little on the chunky side. If you process the tomatoes too much, you will end up having to reduce the sauce quite a bit as it will be much thinner.
10 pounds meaty tomatoes (I used what we had growing in our garden; Early Girl and Katana)
1½ cups diced onions
2 - 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 - 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (optional)
3 teaspoons canning salt (or fine sea salt)
2½ teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
citric acid (essential for canning safety): ¼ teaspoon per 16 ounce (pint) jar, ⅛ teaspoon per 8 ounce (1/2 pint) jar
Preparation
Special equipment: Water bath canner, pint and/or half pint jars, lids and rings, 2 large roasting pans 14x10-inches, food mill for removing tomato skins, food processor or immersion blender.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Have 2 large 14x10-inch baking pans ready.
Halving all ingredients to work in two batches, divide olive oil, balsamic vinegar, onions, garlic, dry herbs, salt and pepper between the two pans.
Wash tomatoes and remove the cores. Cut each tomato in half, or if very large, cut into fourths. Gently squeeze the tomatoes to remove as many of the seeds as possible. Place seeded tomatoes cut side down on top of the ingredients in the prepared pans.
Roast for 35-40 minutes, until most of the skins are a bit puffed and browned. Remove pans from the oven and let cool a bit. Transfer the tomatoes in batches to your food mill with a large pot underneath collecting the tomatoes and their juices. Using the large hole disk, process the tomatoes so the skins are left behind. Continue with all of the roasted tomatoes. Be sure to add all of the remaining pan juices and solids as well.
You may keep the sauce chunky or pulse a few times with a food processor or an immersion blender to get to your desired consistency. If you do not have a food mill, pinch off the skins once the tomatoes are cool enough and pulse tomatoes in a food processor (just a few times for a nice thick sauce). Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more dried herbs or salt if needed. If the sauce is very thick, you may not need to reduce it. If you prefer a thicker sauce, bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat and simmer until sauce thickens. This could take anywhere from 20 - 45 minutes depending upon the type of tomatoes used. The tomato sauce must be hot before ladling into the jars.
Prepare a water bath canner, wash jars and lids. Place clean jars into canner and bring to a simmer. Important safety step: Once jars are hot, remove all jars from the canner and add citric acid to each jar before continuing. Ladle hot tomato sauce into the hot jars one at a time, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Wipe rims, attach lids and secure rings just finger tight. Place all jars back into the canner. Cover and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling process for 35 minutes. At the end of 35 minutes, turn off heat and let jars sit for 5 more minutes. Then remove jars to a cooling rack or towel-lined surface and let cool for 24 hours. Remove rings, check seals, label and store for 18 months. (The newer version of lids are good for 18 months). ***Do not replace dried herbs with fresh herbs. Using fresh herbs will change the pH (acidity)
