Kale, Kalamata Olive, & Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

Salty and crunchy. Matt: "Mmmm. This has a great mouthfeel." (We've been watching lots of Master Chef in our downtime).

A few handfuls of whole wheat pasta - I used fusilli
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 small summer squash (I used golden zucchini - so pretty!), sliced into half-moons
A few handfuls of kale, stripped off the stems and sliced into thin ribbons
Good-quality feta, packed in water (this is important - the water goes into the dressing! I used this amazing Bulgarian sheep's milk feta I found at Whole Foods. Creamy, not too salty, and not too expensive - all my favorite things).
5 sundried tomatoes (the kind packed in oil), coarsely chopped
3-4 tablespoons coarsely chopped kalamata olives, plus some olive juice from the jar.
3-4 eggs
Olive oil
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Cook the pasta according to package directions until it's al dente.

To hardboil the eggs: put them in a small pan, cover them with water, bring to a boil, then turn it off and leave it for about 9 minutes. When they're done, take off the shells and slice them.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a wide saute pan. Add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Then, toss in the summer squash. Cook until it's just beginning to soften - you want it to still have a bit of a crunch, and it'll continue cooking even after you take it off the heat.

When the pasta is done, run some cold water over it to cool it down. Then, put it in a big bowl. Stir in the squash and garlic (once it's cooled a bit), the kale, the olives, the sundried tomatoes, and the eggs. Crumble the feta on top and stir. Pour in some of the water from the feta, then add a few tablespoons of olive juice. Drizzle on some olive oil, then add black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste (you probably won't need any additional salt). Stir everything together. Enjoy!

Bonnie's Super Awesome* Easy Olive Tapenade

*(note from editor: I know it's super awesome because I ate it, and it was yum).

I had some leftover kalamata olives from a picnic and was wondering what to do with them, and a google search led me to a recipe for olive tapenade that inspired this little number. My end result was nothing like the original recipe, so I'll just credit it for inspiration. This recipe results in a rich and creamy olive spread that can be used as a yummy snack on breads and crackers. I can even envision something fancy like little toasts with the spread on top and a cut kalamata or two arranged just so...

A few notes: You'll need a blender or a food processor that is able to grind nuts. Otherwise the creamy texture isn't going to be possible. Also, the end result is super potent, so you won't need much on your bread/cracker/whatever you choose to eat it on. I thought I had gone wrong until I actually put it on a piece of bread. Finally, I didn't measure anything, so feel free to be flexible with these directions.

Ingredients:
1 tub of kalamata olives, drained. (If you want to make this lower in fat, set the olive juice aside and sub it for some of the oil)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts, but you can use whatever)
1 clove garlic, chopped or garlic-pressed
Olive oil (I didn't measure, I probably used about a tablespoon. whatever you prefer)

That's all! the original recipe had feta cheese, so if you wanted it cheesy you could add some.

Put all of your ingredients into the blender, making sure the nuts are closest to the blade. (This gets kind of thick, so if the olives are first they are just going to keep grinding while the nuts sit on top) Grind the mixture until it reaches a creamy consistency. If it's too thick, add more oil/olive juice and blend some more. This should make about a cup of tapenade. Enjoy!

Spinach-Corn-Feta Salad

If you're like me and want to hang on to those last few bits of summer, this salad's for you!

1 small bunch of spinach, chopped
1 ear of corn, boiled
3 scallions, sliced thinly
4 ounces feta, crumbled
2 eggs

Dressing:
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil. Cover and remove from heat, allowing eggs to sit in hot water for 15 minutes. Cut the kernels off the ear of corn. In a large bowl toss together spinach, corn, scallions, and feta. In a small jar, whisk together all dressing ingredients and drizzle over salad. Cool cooked eggs in ice water. Peel, quarter lengthwise, and arrange on top of individually plated salads. Grind some fresh black pepper over eggs and serve!

ps - I just ate the leftover salad on a bed of leftover quinoa and topped it all off with some avocado slices...couldn't have been MORE delicious!

Grilled Greek Eggplant Rolls (a la Heather)

As the name suggests, Heather whipped these up at her impromptu Memorial Day barbeque, and they were a-ma-zing! No exact measurements, but you can tweak things to taste :)

1 large eggplant -- sliced lengthwise into broad 1/4-inch slices
olive oil
about 1 1/2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
about 1/4 cup mint, minced
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 chili pepper, minced
salt and pepper to taste


Brush the slices of eggplant with olive oil. Grill (or roast in the oven, if you're lacking in grill) until they're soft/roasted.

In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. When the eggplants are done, place about two tablespoons of the feta mixture towards the end of each slice, and roll it all up.

Seriously tasty :)