I definitely don't have a green thumb, but for the past few years, I've had a kickin' herb garden. The ground hogs and deer that live in our neighborhood are constantly snacking on my neighbors vegetable gardens, but no one seems to bother with my herbs. And, the lush green herbs in my garden are inspiring me to come up with some new summer recipes.
A few years ago I was living near a market that had the best Greek orzo salad with feta. I don't live near that store anymore, and wanted this side dish for dinner last week, so I just decided to improvise and make it myself. I skipped the feta on my version because, even though I love it, my husband does not. This is inexpensive, quick and easy. Plus, I was able to use some fresh herbs from my garden which made it extra special.
Ingredients:
- A box of Orzo Pasta
- About 1/2 cup of seedless Kalamata Olives - cut into slivers
- About 1.5 cups of fresh Spinach leaves - cut into peices
- About 1 cup of Grape Tomatos - cut in half
- A few tablespoons of fresh chopped Oregano
- A few tablespoons of fresh chopped Chives
- About 4-6 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 cloves of garlic - minced
- Garlic Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Directions:
Cook the Orzo according to the directions and drain it. Then, pour it into a large bowl, add all of your ingredients and mix it all up. You can eat it immediately or refrigerate and eat the next day. In my opinion, this is one of those recipes that almost taste better after a day in the refrigerator.
You can change it up and leave out the olives to make it a little more kid friendly. I think it would also taste good with diced cucumber and red onion instead of the chives. It was amazing using the ingredients I used, but probably would have been phenonemal with feta too. When you make yours, just add whatever makes you happy!