Do you ever have such a wonderful day that the only bad part of it is the ending? The kind of day where wonder how you got so lucky? That was our Saturday. A picture perfect summer day, morning spent on the boat and beach with the boys and good friends, afternoon naps, a tantrum-free trip to Target, drinks with hubby at our favorite watering hole, and supper club. Life is good.
I consider myself a fairly good picnic packer, as I've had years of experience. But I look like a novice compared to our friends Lisa and Lee, who might have just packed the world's most perfect picnic to accompany our beach adventures on Saturday. Tomato and avocado sandwiches, fried chicken, orzo salad, and chocolate chip cookies. A perfect combination, and I'm not ashamed to admit I was digging into all of it by 10:30 am. Mmmm. (My contribution was tuna pasta salad and fruit salad that was promptly blown out of my hands by a wind gust the second I pulled it out of the cooler).
Lisa tells me the orzo salad was Ina Garten's recipe, which follows. Absolutely fabulous. You serve it at room temperature, so it's perfect party or picnic food.
Orzo Salad
Ingredients:
Kosher salt
Good olive oil
3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta) (Lisa used 1/2 whole wheat orzo, and 1/2 regular, which was a perfect combination)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced
Directions
Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well. Add the 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 the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.
Happy summer to all...I didn't have a picture of the orzo salad, so I uploaded a picture of the view from my beach chair instead. Heaven.
I consider myself a fairly good picnic packer, as I've had years of experience. But I look like a novice compared to our friends Lisa and Lee, who might have just packed the world's most perfect picnic to accompany our beach adventures on Saturday. Tomato and avocado sandwiches, fried chicken, orzo salad, and chocolate chip cookies. A perfect combination, and I'm not ashamed to admit I was digging into all of it by 10:30 am. Mmmm. (My contribution was tuna pasta salad and fruit salad that was promptly blown out of my hands by a wind gust the second I pulled it out of the cooler).
Lisa tells me the orzo salad was Ina Garten's recipe, which follows. Absolutely fabulous. You serve it at room temperature, so it's perfect party or picnic food.
Orzo Salad
Ingredients:
Kosher salt
Good olive oil
3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta) (Lisa used 1/2 whole wheat orzo, and 1/2 regular, which was a perfect combination)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced
Directions
Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well. Add the 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 the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.
Happy summer to all...I didn't have a picture of the orzo salad, so I uploaded a picture of the view from my beach chair instead. Heaven.
