Recipe | Greek Pasta Salad | Spring Basket Cleaning

                                                                Greek Pasta Salad
      If you're in need for a dish to pass over the upcoming holiday weekend BBQ--- this Greek Pasta salad is a crowd-pleaser.  Hubby needed a dish to pass at one of his car club's barbecue this weekend and he sweetly asked me if I would make this Greek pasta salad [it's one of his favorites] to take with him.  I was more than happy to oblige!  It's a recipe that I've been making since I received the June 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine with barbecue side dish recipes in the mail.  I adapted the recipe a bit.

Greek Pasta Salad
12 oz.   dried fusilli pasta (about 4 cups uncooked)
2   cups cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1   English cucumber halve lengthwise and sliced
1/3 cup black olives sliced in half
1/2 cup green pepper chopped
1/4 cup red onion chopped finely
1 cup crumbled Feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
Dressing
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 garlic clove minced
1 Tbsp.  anchovy paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain in colander, rinse with cold water, drain again.
In a large bowl toss together vegetables and fresh parsley.
In a 2 cup glass measuring cup mix together dressing ingredients  and whisk together.
Pour over pasta and vegetables and toss together with a large spoon.
Transfer to serving bowl, cover and chill for 2 hours before serving.  Garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley.

      This week the spring cleaning continues at our home.  I went down to the basement and brought most of my summer clothes up to switch out with the winter sweaters.  I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that I won't need heavy sweaters again until next fall----however, this is Michigan!
         We've had several warm sunny days this past week and I took advantage of it.  I had my Martha Stewart moment and took my vintage basket collection outside to clean.  I do this every spring.  I Gather my baskets, a bucket of water with some Murphy's oil soap and a soft brush.  I start by gently rinsing them off with the garden hose, then I take the brush with the Murphy's oil soap and lightly brush the baskets inside and out, and place them upside down on the lawn to dry and turn them back up after 30 minutes and when they're completely dry I bring them in the house.

      I also went to the local Farmers Market and bought herbs for my garden and planters on the patio.  I'm looking forward to being able to go out to my patio and garden and snip herbs when needed for summer salads and for marinating with meat to barbecue.  

        I'm so glad that the days are longer and warmer! Keith and I had dinner for the first time this year on the patio yesterday evening.  It was S'wonderful!  The birds were chirping---I could hear the neighbor's kiddos playing in their back yard. There were people walking their dogs and teenagers riding their bikes. 

                                                                 

                                              

                                                        

                                                                 ~Marcie