I hate winter. So much so that I still complain about it in the summer. Its gloomy, isolating, quiet, and bone chillingly cold. It doesn't help that I've never had a tremendous amount of "insulation." When spring rolls around I'm a whole new person; I smile at people on the street and am thrilled to leave the house. When summer rolls around, I revel in the season in which laziness is a celebrated quality. Being unemployed has definitely added to my allotted lazy time this year.
Now I finally have a constant companion for the joys of summer--the beach, the pool, golfing, the park, and the ultimate in summer dining:

the picnic.
One inspired and sunny day, I decided a cold pasta salad was in order. Armed with farmers market produce and some free time via Hudson's nap, I threw in some random ingredients and whipped up this:

what I'm calling Summer Picnic Pasta Salad...or Summer Pasta Picnic Salad...or Pasta Picnic Summer Salad...
this is why I don't make recipes. I also didn't measure anything, but I'll surely tell you what's in it.
The secret is, it's best stirred by a tiny yet chubby hand. In vintage Pyrex.
Okay here we go:
Boil some Penne pasta--I like the Omega-3 or Whole Wheat kinds because I'm a hippy. Go with what you feel.
Roast some asparagus in olive oil.
Chop up some green onions and the asparagus. I like only the top two or three cuts from asparagus because I'm picky. Nicky.
The saucy/wet stuff: olive oil, a squirt of honey mustard, some 100% orange juice, a bit of basil, and perhaps some parsley all whisked into a fantastical vinaigrette.
Toss it all together plus some Romano (or possibly some Farmer or Havarti or Fillintheblank) cheese.
Chill in the chillerator til it's chilled to your chilliking. Or eat at room temperature. You're free to decide.
You. must. eat. this. outdoors. Take a blanket, find a table, or use a tailgate. Just enjoy the breeze, the birds, and yes--the bugs. Also absolutely necessary? Run around like a banshee and do a happy dance afterward.

Because this is what non-winter is all about.






















