Summer Pasta Salad →

Summer Pasta Salad...make a vinaigrette with red wine vinegar and EVOO. Add some minced shallot, salt, and pepper. In a large bowl, mix assorted olives, grape tomatoes, capers, marinated artichoke hearts, tender-crisp steamed asparagus, thinly sliced fresh basil, and some small cubes of aged provolone cheese. Allow to marinate in the vinaigrette while you cook the pasta. Cook some small pasta shells (or your choice of shapes) to just al dente; strain and mix immediately with the marinated ingredients in the bowl. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Allow the pasta salad to sit at room temp for at least a half-hour for the flavors to meld. Garnish with more fresh basil to taste before serving. Delicious! You can do this! Enjoy with a chilled crisp Rosé or other light wine of your choice.

Asparagus and Tomato Salad →

Meo culpa! When I was a child, we had a patch of asparagus growing in the backyard. I didn’t particularly like asparagus then and for years I diligently mowed down that asparagus every year, but the hardy grass that it is, it kept coming back year after year! My tastes have changed over the years. Now I love asparagus and I’m lucky enough to live next door to Hadley, Massachusetts where they grow world-famous Hadley Asparagus. Every Spring we eagerly await the first batches of asparagus to arrive at the local farm stands. Local asparagus snobs say asparagus isn’t worth eating if it’s more than a day or two old. Whether or not you buy into that perspective, this refreshing salad is best made with really fresh asparagus. If you can’t get fresh local asparagus and have to rely on supermarket asparagus from far away, try coating the asparagus with a bit of olive oil and grill or bake it until crisp-tender.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 1 pound asparagus

• 1/3 cup coarsely grated Cotija cheese (or substitute fried Halloumi, or Feta)

• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes

• Torn basil leaves for garnish

Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup white wine vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1 grated or finely minced garlic clove

• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

1. Steam the asparagus until barely fork tender. (about 3-4 minutes)
2. Toss the asparagus and tomatoes with vinaigrette to coat.
3. Sprinkle the cheese on top and garnish with torn basil leaves
4. Salt and pepper to individual taste

Wine pairing: I prefer Sauvignon Blanc with asparagus. Here’s what “Food and Wine Magazine” has to say about wine and asparagus: https://www.foodandwine.com/vegetables/asparagus/the-truth-about-wine-and-asparagus