Did anyone else notice how hot it was yesterday? Around 1pm in particular? Yea, me too.  I so desperately want it to be fall: sweaters, scarves, gloves, butternut squash soup, brussel sprouts (just a few of the reasons I love this season).  Well, folks, I woke up this morning and what you do you know-it’s raining.  Last night I made something that would be appropriate for the hot weather, but it looks like someone has played a trick on me. So I apologize for this week’s post-it seems so inappropriate for fall, even though only a few hours have passed since I cooked….

All orzo is, for those of you unfamiliar with it, is little mini rice-shaped pasta.  It’s good for soups, and makes the perfect base for this pasta salad.  Of course, this recipe is super simple (as always), and it’s actually better if you let the salad marinate overnight so that all of the flavors can combine together.  The feta adds a briny flavor that contrasts the sweetness of the tomatoes.  Also, did you know that feta is considered a pickled cheese?  Yea, me neither.  I discovered this fun fact  last weekend at the pickle festival.

Ok, let’s get started.  First, bring some H2O to a boil, add salt, orzo, and cook for about 8 minutes.

Mushrooms
I wanted to add a hearty element to the salad.  It is fall and I needed some sort of reminder….Before you sauté the mushrooms, wipe them down with a damp paper towel to remove any dirt.  Add a generous amount of butter to pan, let it melt down almost all the way, then throw the coarsely chopped mushrooms in.  Cook on low heat until tender.

Tomatoes
I love garlicky tomatoes.  Cooking down the tomatoes the slightest bit with a ton of garlic turns the tomatoes into very light sauce.  Finely chop garlic.  Add to pan with olive oil.  Add tomatoes.  Cook on low heat until tomatoes just start to break down.

Once pasta is done, in a large bowl mix together orzo, cooked tomatoes, and mushrooms.  Top with crumbled feta, chopped parsley, mix.  Cover bowl.  Place in fridge for several
hours until cold.

For the total:
1 box Orzo (you will not use the whole thing)-1.99
.14/lb Shiitake Mushrooms- (grown in MA)-$1.68
1 bunch of Parsely-1.69
2 Tomatoes (grown upstate)-$2.15
Bulgarian Feta-$2.17
Grand Total: $9.68

Happy Cooking!