Week 59:

RECIPES OF THE WEEK FROM OUR CULINARY INSTRUCTOR GAIL BLAKELY!

People always seem to appreciate a new and different salad idea.  Here’s one I did in class at Highfield, and it was so good I repeated it in The Enterprise.  It is as delicious as it is appealing.  If you can get local strawberries, by all means use them in this recipe!  The trick here is to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and toss it with the orzo just after draining it, so it melts into the pasta.  Baby spinach leaves work well here, but if you can only get large leaves with stems, just try to remove the stems before chopping.

STRAWBERRY ORZO SALAD

Adapted from Kate Bowler’s New England Invite

Ingredients

• 1 lb orzo
• One and a half cups roughly chopped fresh spinach
• Three quarters cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• One and a half cups roughly chopped strawberries
• One half cup sliced almonds
• 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Cook the orzo according to package directions; drain well and transfer to a large serving bowl.
2. While the orzo is still warm, stir in the spinach and cheese (the Parmesan will melt into the orzo and the spinach will wilt a little).
3. Let cool for 10 minutes, then fold in the strawberries and almonds.
4. Drizzle with vinegar, stir to combine well and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Notes

If desired, serve over a bed of baby spinach leaves with a few halved fresh strawberries for garnish.