If you don't want to go through the pick 'n click it's on my blog also

There's nothing like sitting in the dentist's chair for 2 hours, late
in the day, on an almost empty stomach. By the time the dentist was
finished having her fun with me I was tired, numb and hungry. Stan
offered to take me out for dinner, but with half of a numb face, which
of course would have made me a charming dinner companion, (dang, maybe
he wanted to watch me try and drink a glass of water, that would have
had some entertainment value for sure ;-) that and the possibility of
chewing off the inside of my unfeeling mouth, I passed on his generous
offer. This is the point in the conversation where he usually tells me
he was going to take me to my favorite expensive, or ethnic restaurant
that he doesn't really care for. He doesn't know, even after all these
years, who he's dealing with. Next time I'll take him up on it, eat
two bites, and take the rest home to eat when I get my face back.
<insert witchy cackle here>

I've been very hungry for a cold pasta salad, but not just any pasta,
I had to have a bow tie pasta salad. I bought some organic vegetable
bow ties last weekend and decided this was the perfect time to make
it. It's easy to make, easy to chew. Now all I had to do was make it
with what I had on hand, so here's what I did.

I think it was Marcella Hazen who said to generously salt the pasta
water. It should be as salty as the Mediterranean sea. Trust me, it
makes a big difference.

I had carrots, celery, red onion, parsley, basil, cucumber, bell
pepper and of course cooked bow ties.I chopped sliced and diced the
veggies needed.
http://i37.tinypic.com/241wlqp.jpg

I added these to the perfectly cooked bow ties that were shocked in
cold water to cool them off quickly, and drained very well.
http://i37.tinypic.com/2eumt5i.jpg

Now to make the vinaigrette dressing. My basic recipe, to which you
can add different herbs and spices to, has vinegar, olive oil, garlic,
seasoned salt and mustard. If I use balsamic vinegar I use a one part
vinegar to two parts olive oil ratio. Since I didn't want a brown
pasta salad I used red wine vinegar with a one to three ratio.
http://i34.tinypic.com/22yz2b.jpg

This is one of the few times I use a garlic press rather than the
knife and salt smash on the cutting board method. I start with one
clove of garlic. Sometimes I'll add one more at the end of the process
if it's not garlicky enough for me.
http://i36.tinypic.com/ae2tte.jpg

Add one fourth teaspoon of seasoned salt. This can be adjusted later
also.
http://i34.tinypic.com/292ycgk.jpg

One tablespoon Dijon mustard.
http://i38.tinypic.com/wk30d3.jpg

Whisk together.
http://i38.tinypic.com/x0vfrp.jpg

Dump in vinegar and mix up really good.
http://i36.tinypic.com/ifqtya.jpg

Slowly add olive oil whisking all the time.
http://i37.tinypic.com/2nvzevp.jpg

Mmmm just perfect.
http://i37.tinypic.com/nxs8li.jpg

I didn't dress the whole pasta salad. I like to switch up the flavors
a little, and the next time I eat it I might use a mayo based dressing
with some different seasonings. I only dress what I'm eating at the
time.
http://i38.tinypic.com/f20adg.jpg

For lunch at work the next day I added some diced cheddar cheese and
some fresh cherry tomatoes along with the vinaigrette.
http://i33.tinypic.com/10pd5dk.jpg

My friends at work really liked it and it's all gone. ;-) this makes
me happy.

koko
There is no love more sincere than the love of food
George Bernard Shaw
www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 7/26

On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:24:19 -0700, koko > wrote:

>
>If you don't want to go through the pick 'n click it's on my blog also

Koko,

Thanks for the wonderful pictures and directions. Here's my only
signature dish from the RFC web site that Cathy was nice enough to
include. It has many similarities to what you did.

Sopresetta Pasta Salad
Dressing:

2 1/4 oz. garlic
1 1/2 cup olive oil
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
1 t. black pepper
1 tb. kosher salt
1/2 t. celery seed
1 t. fennel seed
1 t. dry thyme
1 tb. dried basil
Salad

1 pound cubed mozzarella
1 pound cubed provolone
4 oz. romano
1/2 pound cubed sopresetta
1 pound cubed genoa salami
1/2 pound chopped onion
3/4 lb. chopped green pepper
4 oz sliced baby carrots
6 oz black olives drained and sliced
6 oz. green olives drained and sliced
1 cup curley parsley. Culled, chopped rough
2 cups freshly chopped tomatoes

32 oz. rotinni

In mixing bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together. Set aside.

Prepare remaining ingredients and set aside, reserving tomatoes.

Cook pasta for about 7 minutes. (slightly undercooked)

Drain well and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle dressing all
over pasta

Gently toss to coat. Add remaining ingredients, (except tomatoes) toss
to mix.

Do not overwork or pasta will break. Transfer to appropriate size
serving bowl.

Spread the tomatoes evenly over salad. Cover tightly and refrigerate
overnight.

Lou

On Thu 31 Jul 2008 08:24:19p, koko told us...

> If you don't want to go through the pick 'n click it's on my blog also
>

I went straight to your blog, Koko. This looks wonderful! I really needed a
good pasta salad recipe, so copied and saved...

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Thursday, 07(VII)/31(XXXI)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
Another such victory over the Romans,
and we are undone.
-------------------------------------------

On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:07:51 -0500, Lou Decruss >
wrote:

>On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:24:19 -0700, koko > wrote:
>
>>
>>If you don't want to go through the pick 'n click it's on my blog also
>
>Koko,
>
>Thanks for the wonderful pictures and directions. Here's my only
>signature dish from the RFC web site that Cathy was nice enough to
>include. It has many similarities to what you did.
>
>Sopresetta Pasta Salad

snipped and save recipe

Thank you so much Lou for this. I can picture what a beautiful salad
that must make.

Trust me, that's high on my list of things to make.

koko
There is no love more sincere than the love of food
George Bernard Shaw
www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 7/31

On Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:13:52 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

>On Thu 31 Jul 2008 08:24:19p, koko told us...
>
>> If you don't want to go through the pick 'n click it's on my blog also
>>
>
>I went straight to your blog, Koko. This looks wonderful! I really needed a
>good pasta salad recipe, so copied and saved...

Thanks Wayne. I made do with what I had on hand and I was very pleased
with the results.

koko
There is no love more sincere than the love of food
George Bernard Shaw
www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 7/31

On Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:21:08 -0700, koko > wrote:

>On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:07:51 -0500, Lou Decruss >
>wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:24:19 -0700, koko > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>If you don't want to go through the pick 'n click it's on my blog also
>>
>>Koko,
>>
>>Thanks for the wonderful pictures and directions. Here's my only
>>signature dish from the RFC web site that Cathy was nice enough to
>>include. It has many similarities to what you did.
>>
>>Sopresetta Pasta Salad
>
>snipped and save recipe
>
>Thank you so much Lou for this. I can picture what a beautiful salad
>that must make.

I've used tri-colored rotinni and it really is pleasant looking.

>Trust me, that's high on my list of things to make.

I hope you do. If it's just for a small crowd I'd cut the recipe to
1/4. I'm not the fastest cook so the recipe takes me about 90 minutes
to make. But with all the meat and cheese it's a meal on it's own.
It's one of the few leftovers I'll eat and enjoy. It holds for a few
days as long as you don't over cook the pasta and it's better the next
day. Before I had a meat slicer I had the deli cut the meat and
cheese in 3/8 inch slices and it made cubing much faster.

Lou