This Orzo with Feta and Sundried Tomatoes makes a wonderful side dish, light meal, pot luck or picnic.
It’s officially summer at our house. School ended today. Whew! And it was a whirlwind of a weekend, too. A welcome home party for an American soldier, my boys’ cub scout graduation pot luck… summer fun and summer foods have started off with a bang! My husband is cub master for our boys’ pack, and he takes his job very seriously. He acts like a clown to get the kids to laugh, tells dumb jokes and dances about to keep the boys interested and engaged. It’s not an easy job, especially for a guy who is a perfectionist.
Sunday’s graduation and bridging over was held at a beautiful park, surrounded by oak trees, rocks and streams full of tadpoles. My husband borrowed another pack’s Cub-O-Matic to churn out freshly advanced Wolves, Bears and Webelos to the eager parents watching and gazing through their cameras. It was silly, the kids were tossed through “the machine” like popcorn. Some kids took their acting skills to a new level and came out dramatically from the Cub-O-Matic. All in all, there were many smiling faces and of course, proud parents.
Every year for graduation, our pack holds a barbeque. They supply the burgers and dogs, while the families bring in the drinks, ice, condiments, salads, side dishes, chips, cookies and treats. I am always amazed by the generosity of 20-some-odd families that make up our pack.
My youngest son’s den was assigned to bring a side dish (I’ll share my dessert recipe in another post). I made this dish, Orzo with Feta and Sundried Tomatoes. I adapted it from a dish my neighbor made for our first book club meeting. Hers was with Israeli couscous. After not finding it at two stores, I chose to use orzo. Karen is having fun on her summer vacation, but she was sweet enough to quickly text me the ingredients to this dish while she was herding her three kids onto the airplane. Now that’s friendship!
It’s easy to put together, full of flavor and lots of my favorite goodies: sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, creamy feta, fresh spinach, mint, oregano, olive oil and lemon juice. The bowl was emptied clean at the picnic. I’m glad I was able to sneak a bite in for myself!
How can you tell you have a happy cub scout? By the amount of dirt that has accumulated on his uniform. And boy, did we have a lot of dirty scouts that day!
Orzo with Feta and Sundried Tomatoes
A great side dish or meal that's easy to prepare and great for a picnic. Recipe by Laura Bashar of Family Spice
Ingredients:
- 2 qt water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 lb orzo pasta
- 1/2 lb kalamata olives, pitted & chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 12 oz sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained & chopped
- 1 cup spinach, fresh, packed, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp oregano, dried
- 3 TBS mint, fresh, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
- 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 3 TBS lemon juice
- 1/3 lb feta cheese, chopped or crumbled
Directions:
- In a heavy saucepan bring to boil:
- 2 qt water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Add to the boiling water and cook per package directions:
- 1 lb orzo pasta
- While the orzo is cooking, mix in a large serving bowl:
- 1/2 lb kalamata olives , pitted & chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion , diced
- 12 oz sun-dried tomatoes , packed in oil, drained & chopped
- 1 cup spinach, fresh , packed, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp oregano, dried
- 3 TBS mint, fresh , thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
- When pasta is cooked, drain well in a colander and transfer to serving bowl.
- Add in:
- 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 3 TBS lemon juice
- 1/3 lb feta cheese , chopped or crumbled
- Toss gently and serve cold or at room temperature.
Prep Time:
Yield: Serves 6
Cook Time:
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