Last weekend we were in Bend for a little while, and since my husband was tied up with a work conference, I took the kids up to Sisters for the morning. We stopped in at Angeline's Bakery for a delicious whole wheat marionberry muffin, checked out the cute little town a bit, and headed back to do the High Desert Museum. I knew I'd need to bring a lunch so we could have a nice little picnic before heading toward home (and not having to backtrack into Bend again), so I started to look for a decent place to get something to-go. I was a little lost; we'd been looking for a children's place that is apparently now defunct, but knew I was going in the direction that would eventually get us back to the highway. I passed by an organic grocery store with a big "To-Go" sign, slammed on my brakes, parked, and unloaded the kids. The little market had a wide selection of lovely produce, decent snack foods, and, best of all, pre-made wrap sandwiches in all sorts of fun flavor combinations, awesome looking salads, and heat and eat meals that were prepared by hand on the premises. I was stoked! The wraps were huge, so I got one to share with the kids. They also chose some snap peas, drinks, and a slightly unassuming pasta salad made with fresh pesto (yes, everything, even the pesto, made there!). We packed it up and headed out.
After a fun few hours of exhibit hopping and checking out the lynx, bobcat, otter, and birds, we had a lovely picnic. The chicken caesar wrap was tasty, peas were fresh and crispy, and the salad...I could barely get it away from my daughter! It was delicious and definitely the highlight of our little lunch. Yum! Naturally, I took note and recreated my own version to serve alongside some grilled steaks and asparagus tonight. Make sure you plan ahead and give it at least a few hours to marinate.
Pasta Salad with Basil Pesto
3 cups dry rotini pasta*
1-1 1/4 cups fresh basil pesto
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and broken up slightly
1/2 cup halved Kalamata olives
sundried tomatoes (I used a few handfuls of dried cherry tomatoes from last summer's garden)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (use the larger holes on your box grater)
Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Place in a large glass bowl with the other ingredients. Toss to combine. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Basil Pesto
I have a slight disclaimer for this recipe. I usually throw whatever in a food processor and don't use too many measurements here. Taste and adjust as necessary.
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, rinsed
1/4 cup walnuts or pine nuts (toast if desired)
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
slight squeeze lemon juice
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced (or use a garlic scape, if you know what that is!)
1/4-1/2 cup very good quality extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Puree in a food processor, adding oil until desired consistency is achieved. Makes about 1 cup (just enough for the salad above).
*I have been moving away from whole wheat pasta. It's slightly gritty, a lot of people don't like the texture or heaviness, and while it holds up well with meaty sauces, the flavor overpowers more delicate flavors. For cheese based pasta dishes and ones that use a mild sauce, like this pesto, I have become a huge fan of brown rice pasta. I buy the Tinkyada brand in the Natural Foods section, and it has never become gummy or fallen apart. It's hard to tell it's not white pasta! (I even fooled my husband's cousin tonight when I shared a bit of this salad with him.) Tinkyada makes all sorts of designs, from a kid-themed blend of shapes, to rotini, to macaroni, to penne...and all are fantastic. Brown rice pasta is a great way to incorporate whole grains (and eat something other than corn or wheat). Please give it a try!
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