It takes a heat wave for us die-in-the wool Mainers to remove the flannel sheets from the bed and pack away the long underwear. Just like that, the longer days of spring become warmer, the birds wake you up in the morning and the evening sunsets are glorious. Summer has officially arrived.
Summer is the magic time of year when you can walk barefoot on the grass, eat breakfast, lunch or dinner on the deck or patio, and enjoy a juicy slice of melon or vine-ripened berry. The garden and farmer’s markets are bursting with gifts from nature, bright red luscious strawberries, crisp greens and asparagus, sweet sugar snap peas, spicy radishes, baby orange carrots, tender yellow summer squash and green zucchini, garlic scapes, fragrant fresh herbs, baby onions and bright red and yellow tomatoes. Such an abundance of good eating and good health.
Such a summer bounty makes eating and cooking simple and shopping locally and, on a budget, easy. Every morning, I scout the garden with my yellow basket and orange shears for the harvest, edible flowers, baby zucchini, fresh herbs, asparagus, radishes and more. When visiting my local farmer’s market or farm stand, I stash a cooler in the car. Buying my groceries for the week allows us to eat like royalty. Supporting our local farms makes good sense.
The recipe for Celebration Pasta Salad is an adaptation of my friend Barret Gray’s macaroni salad. The pasta shape of your choice is tossed with plenty of fresh vegetables, coated with a tangy, creamy dressing, finished with a liberal dose of choice herbs and often garnished with cheerful edible flowers. Delectable! This salad stays well in the refrigerator for several days, is perfect to accompany your favorite food cooked on the grill and a welcome treat for a no-cook lunch on hot summer days.
Celebration Pasta Salad is not about the recipe, but a guide to get you started to delicious and nutritious eating. The preparation can vary with the creativity of the cook and what’s fresh in your garden or the market. My husband says that a perfectly ripe summer tomato is better than filet mignon. In-season, local, quality food doesn’t need dressing up. The best recipes write themselves. Every bite is a joy. Enjoy the summer and celebrate the best eating season.
Celebration Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 8 ounces pasta noodles
- 2 cups chopped or diced fresh vegetables or more red or colored pepper, asparagus, celery, zucchini, summer squash, tomato, scallions, carrot, red onion, radish, frozen peas or corn
- 2 hard-boiled eggs finely diced
- Splash of olive oil
For the dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or yogurt
- ¼ cup sweet pickles with juice
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- Maine sea salt and fresh pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs: parsley basil, thyme, cilantro, dill, rosemary, etc
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Assemble ingredients and tools. Put a large pot of salted water onto boil.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until just tender. Remove from heat and drain, turn into a large bowl. Drizzle the pasta with some olive oil and gently stir so that the noodles don’t stick together.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop and add the vegetables to the bowl. Peel and dice the eggs and add to the mixture. If using frozen peas and corn, add to the bowl. Stir well.
- To prepare the dressing, in the bowl of your blender or food processor combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, sweet pickles, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and garlic powder. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and stir well. Stir in the fresh herbs.
- Season to taste with Maine sea salt and fresh pepper. If desired, stir in some red pepper flakes.
