What a fun and relaxing Memorial Day weekend. My husband and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary and had a delicious meal at 31st Union – a serendipitous discovery in our backyard. (Our last-minute attempt to make dinner reservations at two other local restaurants failed and so I suggested this farm-to-table eatery, which I stumbled upon while looking for alternatives online.)
I quickly fell in love with the rustic atmosphere, seasonal small plates and keg wines. If you live in the Bay Area, check it out – and don’t miss the house-made ricotta gnocchi if it’s available. It’s worth getting just for the fried hedgehog mushrooms that come on the side.
My mom and dad also invited us kids over for barbecue. On the menu: ribs, steak and chicken. As typical, I was tasked with bringing a side and thought this Mediterranean orzo pasta salad would pair well with all three meats. It’s full of flavor thanks to the salty Kalamata olives, Feta cheese and Greek yogurt dressing, yet complements (aka doesn’t overpower) the main course. Double the recipe if you want leftovers – it’s delicious plain or as part of a green salad.
Recipe adapted from The Wanderlust Kitchen.
- 6 ounces orzo
- juice of ½ lemon
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup Feta cheese crumbles
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Cook orzo according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, Greek yogurt, honey, garlic and olive oil; whisk until emulsified.
- In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, Kalamata olives, chickpeas, green onions, Feta cheese and drained pasta. Add about two-thirds of the dressing to pasta mixture and toss gently to combine. Add additional dressing, salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Made this over the weekend and used it for weekday lunches! So good!!
Glad you liked it!