Caprese pasta salad

Consider: it's too hot to cook, but you have all of these beautiful tomatoes available in your garden/farmer's market/grocery store and they actually have amazing flavor. This situation will be non-existent by October 1. This should of course be the excuse for a meal, right?

Toss equal parts chopped fresh tomato, chopped fresh mozarella, and short pasta shape. I used oricchiette here, and the cheese is from a container of fresh mozarella pearls.  Make sure everything is about the same size. 

Chop a generous amount of fresh basil into thin slices (chiffonade) and dress with a couple glugs of olive oil, half that amount of balsamic vinegar, and season with kosher salt and red pepper flakes. Optional stir-ins: crispy bacon, capers. Dinner is served!

PAIRS WITH:

dry rose, dry lambrusco

Good eats in Orlando (I promise)

I recently spent a week in Orlando, which is my idea of hell, no lie.  But until the National Flute Association develops some taste, I will forever be struggling to put a on happy face in smoldering temperatures, dripping humidity, and a whole lot of flute choir concerts at the national convention. You didn't really care about any of this, did you? You just want to know where to eat when you're stuck at Sea World / Disney World / Orlando Convention Center / Blech. I gotchyoo.

At The Point, a shopping funhouse with a bunch of cartoonishly large, overdecorated restaurants crammed together (**Happy hours at all these places are 3-6pm):

The Pub
http://experiencethepub.com/orlando/
Highlights: Naughty Chips (basically fully loaded poutine), curry chicken flatbread, Scotch egg, large beer menu

Taverna Opa
https://opaorlando.com/
Highlights: a really piney retsina by the glass, spanikopita, meatballs, great selection of small plates
Fun activity: After you order, hummus comes to the table as seasoned chick peas in a mortar and pestle for you to grind, and the pita bread is super fluffy and delish

Cuba Libre
http://www.cubalibrerestaurant.com/
Highlights: ropa vieja, arroz con pollo, visit to Havana (comes with a full-sized Cuban, plantain chips, black bean soup, and a mixed salad), malanga fritters
They win the happy hour award: 2-for-1 drinks from 3-6pm, and the caipirinha is fab.

Lafayette's
http://lafayettes.com/orlando/
Highlights: sweet corn & jalapeno hushpuppies, shrimp and grits, po boys, a great brunch menu daily


At Lake Cay Shopping Center, where you'll be buying your overpriced groceries at Publix if you're staying at one of the hundreds of tourist-approved condos, you'll find

@ The Diner
https://www.atthediner.com/
Highlights: Roast pork benny (eggs benedict with slow-cooked roast port instead of the Canadian bacon), loaded biscuits (cheese, bacon, and gravy), mimosas an entire stuffed French toast menu

Beth's Burger Barhttps://bethsburgerbar.business.site/
The create-your-own burgers really are good, because the basic burger is so tasty.  There's also a brunch menu that includes tasty burritos and chicken and waffles.

The world's simplest potato salad

I had this at one of my favorite NoCo restaurants, The Kitchen, in Fort Collins last month. It was served as a side to my super-porky, gluttonous Cuban sandwich, and it was sitting there all pale and goopy on my plate.  I thought, "what is this garbage, and when did they stop trying with the sides"?  But then I took a bite and realized it was actually pure evil genius: four ingredients, and it was somehow more amazing than the Cuban (which was also very good, so nice job again Kitchen people).


You can add more ingredients to this to make it a little heartier, or swap out the greens for a different flavor.  But I would caution you against making it too complicated, because then it loses some of its magic.




The Kitchen Potato Salad

Serves 6-8 (or me like, twice)

3 lbs. small red potatoes, cut into approx. 2-inch pieces if necessary
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. (or more) creamy horseradish
2 cups packed baby arugula
salt & pepper

Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes or just until cooked through. Lay out cooked potatoes on a flat baking sheet, wait for them to stop steaming, then place the tray in the fridge to cool down at least a couple hours or preferably overnight.

Mix together Greek yogurt and horseradish in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Stir this dressing into the cooled potatoes. Use as much or as little of the yogurt mix as you like. Add the arugula, and lightly turn to coat.

Additions/substitutions:

• Swap our arugula for cooked or raw kale, raw spinach, or just a giant hunk of roughly chopped fresh herbs. If you're going to herb route, I like dill and parsley for this.
• Add herbs, as stated above.
• Stir in fresh green peas, lightly steamed (you can add them to the potatoes in the last 60 seconds of cooking)
• Add cooked brown or French (puy) lentils

You got Mexican Corn in my Pasta!

I don't know when this whole "Mexican Street Corn" thing started, but it's delicious, so screw authenticity. Also, I love pasta. PS, you can eat this hot or cold.

Mexican Corn Pasta

Serves 6

For the Dressing:
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise
juice and zest of one lime
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon hot sauce (I use Tapatio)
salt and pepper, to taste

For the Pasta Salad:
8 oz. farfalle or rotini pasta

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups corn (frozen and thawed, fresh removed from cob, or canned and drained)

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced finely
4 green onions, green parts only, thinly sliced
4 oz. crumbled goat cheese (or queso fresco, or a combo)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish


Mix all ingredients for dressing in a large bowl. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to directions in well-salted, boiling water. Drain and set aside.

Heat a skillet with the olive oil and add the corn kernels and peppers. Cook over medium-high heat until starting to brown- don’t stir too often. You should get nice dark color on some pieces.

Combine all ingredients together in a serving bowl. Stir to combine.