I came in this morning from the garden with handfuls of grape tomatoes that were hanging heavy from tender branches. If you come to our house, you’ll see green tomatoes lining the kitchen window sills. Every summer around this time, the tomatoes get heavy and drop without ripening, so we put them on the window sills until they turn red. Sometimes we’ve breaded and fried green tomatoes for a delicious dinner side. Have you heard of fried green tomatoes? Great with homemade ranch!I

On to this new recipe that I’m so excited to share! I’ve already told a couple people about it, because it’s just that good! The orzo is light and the grape tomatoes are the sweetest they’ll be all year. The cucumbers are fresh and crunchy, and if you have a garden, they may be abundant these days. Of course, the star of the show is the fresh mozzarella. I opened the tub and, let’s be honest, I could eat all the creamy, bite-sized balls! Any grocery store should carry them. Mine were from Trader Joe’s. I picked parsley to add to the salad, too because it has a mellow flavor, and our herb patch always has a robust amount of it.

Wouldn’t you agree that most pasta salads taste better when made ahead? I made this Fresh Mozzarella Orzo Salad this morning, and that kept my kitchen cool. Tonight, Nathan grilled some chili-lime chicken for a satiating supper. It was so light and tasted so good! He even asked to take the salad to the office for his lunch! I can’t wait for you to try it and tell me how you liked it!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 extra virgin olive oil

• 4 or 5 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 pound orzo

• 1/4 red onion, diced

• 1 cucumber, diced (peeled, if has a tough skin)

• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella balls, drained and halved

• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped without the stems

Cook the orzo according to package directions (about 7-9 minutes in boiling salted water). Drain and rinse immediately. Chill the orzo in the fridge or on the counter until cool. Add all the ingredients to the orzo in a large serving dish. Mix the dressing and pour over the salad. Serve immediately, or later, or tomorrow! I added a little olive oil before serving because the orzo absorbs some of the dressing.

with love. Damaris