More Veggies

Tuesday brought lots of rain to the North Shore of Massachusetts, so I postponed my PYO expedition until Friday morning. But I'll have some help - picking various types of peas will be a FAMILY effort this week. But as far as the distribution goes - here's what I got.

* Lettuce
* Arugula
* Radishes
* Parsley
* Collards
* Beets
* Kohlrabi
* Turnips
* Tatsoi
* Beets
* Scapes
* Broccoli

The first recipe I made was inspired by Rachel Ray. Some people love her. Some people hate her. I think she's really bubbly and shares simple recipes. And her pasta salad recipes are pretty spot on.

A&E's Show Stopping Pasta Salad

1 package of any kind of tortellini
Uncooked bunch of greens (I have used spinach and tatsoi)
Cheese (feta, fresh mozzarella, ricotta salata, and goat cheese all work)
Any combo of the below vegetables or meats add great flavors and texture

* artichoke hearts
* sun dried tomatoes
* roasted red peppers
* pitted kalamata olives
* salami
* pepperoni
* soppressata

And for the homemade dressing

* Zest of 1 lemon
* 1 smooshed clove of garlic
* 2 teaspoons lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* fresh thyme leaves

Directions

Cook and drain the pasta. If you are using dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, just put them in the pot with the pasta and they'll rehydrate while the pasta cooks.

Coarsely chopped the greens, and any of the other ingredients. Slice olives in half or leave them whole. Do whatever you want. It's your salad not mine.

Make the dressing. Chop the garlic, then add salt to it and mash it into a paste with the flat of your knife. Transfer garlic paste to a small bowl and add lemon zest, lemon juice and vinegar to it. Whisk in oil, thyme and pepper.

Put everything in a bowl, toss it, and serve it. It's never around long enough to take a picture.