Weekly Kitchen: A Cool, New Salad to help you beat the heat

By ANGELA McRAE, Special to The Weekly

Do you ever get to the grocery store and stand there in amazement as you consider all the choices we have these days? Sometimes, I wonder what it was like back when spaghetti noodles didn’t come in thirty-seven shapes and when rice came in simple plastic pouches and not multiple varieties hailing from every corner of the globe.

Occasionally, I fantasize about how nice it would be if each section of the store came with a sort of grocery-shopping assistant, someone I could walk up to and say, “Look, here’s the recipe I want to make. Which products do you recommend?” In my fantasy, the snappy grocery assistant would smile and say, “Ah! Good choice. Let me be of service.”

No such person having appeared during my most recent visit to the grocery store, I knew I would have to make selections myself. And so it was that I stood there in the grocery aisle and tried to remember, “Is orzo pasta or rice?” There was something tricky about it, and then I remembered—orzo looks like rice but is actually pasta.

It had been a while since I’d had any orzo, but I was flipping through one of my vintage metal recipe boxes the other day and came across this recipe for Orzo, Pea, and Pepper Salad. When the weather is hot, I enjoy a nice, cool summer salad. It can do duty as a side dish, and a slightly larger serving can easily become lunch or supper.

According to the delightfully named Pastaevangelists.com, “As well as being the perfect solution for mid-week recipes due to its high protein content, the density of semolina flour used to make orzo provides the pasta with a firmness needed to ensure it maintains its shape whilst remaining soft and light in texture. This is particularly important for cold salads using orzo, as there are often many ingredients which need to be mixed in which might otherwise cause the pasta to fall apart or become stodgy if over-mixed.” I agree with that assessment, as the orzo held up well to the dressing in this salad and didn’t wimp out on me.

If you’re looking for a new summer salad, this one is quite tasty and a breeze to prepare, so I hope you’ll give it a try.

Orzo, Pea, and Pepper Salad

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons water
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 green onions, thinly sliced (include the green parts)
1 small red pepper, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
10 ounces uncooked orzo
1 cup frozen green peas

Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, water, mustard, garlic, and pepper until well blended. Stir in the onions and red pepper. Cook orzo in boiling water for six minutes. Add peas and cook for 2-3 minutes more, then drain. In large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss gently before refrigerating. Yields 10-12 servings.