The first “burgers and dogs” cookout of the season called for sides, one, very traditional, the other, an update on an old classic.
The variations are endless when it comes to pasta salad. As a caterer I had more than a dozen in my repertoire. Pasta salads can reflect whatever taste or ethnicity you are in the mood for. They are a perfect addition to summer picnics and barbecues. This pasta salad features traditional Mediterranean flavors and is as simple as can be. It can be made in not much more time than it takes to cook the pasta and uses mostly pantry ingredients. Rotelle pasta works well here, feel free to substitute whatever twisted shape suits your fancy. If you are using canned diced tomatoes, hold back on the saucy component of the tomatoes, you can always add more sauce later.
Cabbage is a main ingredient in many slaw recipes so why not substitute the “cabbage turnip” or kohlrabi as it is translated from the German. Though it looks like a root vegetable it is a swollen stem that grows above ground. Farmers markets and spring gardens are abundant with kohlrabi this time of year. The mild flavor is somewhere between broccoli stems and a turnip and young kohlrabi are sweet and quite tender. I added some jicama to my slaw for additional crispness, Granny Smith apples for their sweet-tart flavor and a carrot to enhance the color. The kohlrabi I used was young, there was no need to peel the purple skin and it gave the salad some more color. l chose to julienne the vegetables in my slaw, a box grater or the shredding disc of a food processor would work as well but would give the slaw a different texture.
Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Garbanzos and Feta
Serves 6-8
- 1/2lb pasta (rotelle or rotini works best here)
- 1/4 c finely chopped fresh basil
- 2 T fresh lemon juice
- 2 T white wine vinegar
- 1 T chopped garlic
- 2 t grated lemon peel
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chopped plum tomatoes (fresh or canned)
- 1/4c finely minced sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/4c sliced black olives
- 1 15- to 16-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- Additional chopped fresh basil
Directions
- Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Drain again.
- Combine basil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and lemon peel in large bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Add pasta, tomatoes, garbanzo beans and feta cheese. Toss to blend well. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared ahead. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours; or cover and refrigerate overnight, them let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)
- Mound salad on large shallow platter. Garnish with additional basil.
Kohlrabi Slaw
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 1 medium kohlrabi
- 1/2 medium jicama
- 2 Granny Smith apples
- 1 medium carrot
- 1/4c golden raisins
- 1/4c dried cranberries
- 1/4c balsamic vinegar (I used cranberry-pear)
- 1/2c extra virgin olive oil
- 1t lemon peel
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Cut top, bottom and “tentacles” off the kohlrabi. Peel the skin off the kohlrabi only if it is tough. Peel the jicama, apples and carrots.
- Cut all vegetables into matchstick julienne or shred in a food processor or on a box grater. Combine in a bowl along with the raisins and dried cranberries.
- Combine vinegar, oil and lemon peel in a small bowl, whisk to combine.
- Add enough vinaigrette to coat, let sit at room temperature for about ten minutes and add a little more vinaigrette if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper.