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!

Mediterranean Orzo

This is based off a recipe from Food & Wine . . . my dad served it with grilled swordfish, which was really yummy, but you could totally whip up some chickpeas or tofu to go along with it to make it completely vegetarian :)

3/4 cup whole-wheat orzo
1/2 cup pitted mixed olives (2 ounces), coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped and toasted in a pan or in the oven

Cook orzo according to package directions; drain and combine with next 5 ingredients. Stir in almonds directly before serving.

Loaded Veggie Polenta Pizza

Delicious AND nutritious! Note: Feel free to add/subtract toppings - this combination is phenomenal, but use whatever you have on hand for a super easy, unbelievably tasty meal.

1 C polenta
3 C water
2 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP olive oil
1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 C pitted kalamata olives, chopped
4 scallions, green and white parts chopped
5 cremini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 C spinach, chopped
2 C broccoli, chopped
dash of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1 C mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 C feta cheese, crumbled
parmesan cheese

In a saucepan bring 3 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil. Slowly stir in polenta, reduce heat, and simmer for ten minutes stirring constantly. Add butter and stir until completely melted. Pour polenta onto an oiled baking sheet and spread evenly with the back of a spoon until it forms a crust about 1/2" thick. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a skillet heat the olive oil and saute the garlic, broccoli, mushrooms, and spinach for about five minutes, or until broccoli is tender. Remove from heat, stir in a dash or two of balsamic vinegar along with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove crust from oven. In the following order, evenly distribute layers of: chopped tomatoes and sauce, mozzarella cheese, artichoke hearts, sauteed vegetables, olives, scallions, and feta cheese. Sprinkly liberally with parmesan. Bake at 450 degrees for ten more minutes.

Laurel's Famous Tofu Balls

Alex requested this recipe, so here is a close approximation. My mom made various versions of these when I was little but never actually measured the ingredients. I've been making them for about four years and of course I've never actually measured the ingredients either, so you might have to futz with the wet/dry proportions a little. Sooooooo delicious as a vegetarian alternative to meat balls on spaghetti. (Just make sure the boys in your life don't eat eight and make themselves sick. For real. Not only are sick boys no fun, but you totally want to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.)

Basic ingredients:
1 package firm tofu
1 medium onion, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP olive oil
2 large eggs
3/4-1 C bread crumbs
fresh parsley, chopped
fresh/dried basil
salt and pepper
vegetable oil for frying

Magic ingredients:
splash soy sauce
toasted sunflower seeds
chopped walnuts
handful of poppy seeds
sauted diced mushrooms
chopped olives
parmigiano
any other spices that sound good to you

Saute onion and garlic together in the olive oil over medium heat until onion is translucent and fragrant. Drain tofu well and crumble it into a large bowl. Add sauted veggies, eggs, bread crumbs, herbs, and salt and pepper. (Note on the breadcrumbs: if you don't have any lying around, feel free to throw crackers or stale bread into the blender and pulse until crumbled. And for the gluten-free among you, rice crackers work great for this!) Here's the fun part: with your hands, mush and crumble all ingredients together until well mixed. If it feels too wet, add another small handful of bread crumbs. Now, you want to think about adding a magic ingredient or two. These balls are delicious just like this, but everybody likes a little magic, and I've had great success adding various combinations from this list. The walnuts are probably my all-time fave, but add whatever sounds good to you. Of course, if you have a stroke of genius and come up with another amazing ingredient addition, by all means do it and post a note about it. Mix thorougly.

Roll the mixture between your hands in medium chunks to form about a dozen balls. Heat a good amount of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan, and when hot, add half the balls. Allow them to brown on the bottom (usually 4-5 minutes depending on the heat of the oil), before turning to the next side. I think I end up browning them on four sides usually, so they come out of the pan looking a little bit like little pyramids.

Serve over pasta and sauce with plenty of parmigiano sprinkled on top! Yummy!

PS - This is your new favorite recipe.