A Taste of Summer (What Happened to Spring?)

As I write this, the temperature outside is 87 degrees. I had a meeting in DC today and was pretty much covered in sweat by the time I got off the crowded rush hour metro. It’s so hot, I broke down and turned on the AC (which I usually try to avoid doing for as long as possible). Which begs the question….what happened to spring?!  I hope it makes a comeback soon because I am not ready for summer quite yet.

Good thing I was planning to make Barefoot Contessa’s Roasted Shrimp and Orzo Salad for dinner tonight. Full of fresh herbs (dill!), veggies (scallions, red onion, and cucumbers…oh my!), shrimp, and topped with a lemon vinaigrette, it is the ideal warm weather meal. It just tastes like summer…seriously!

It’s easy to make too—in the time it takes to cook the orzo you can pretty much have everything else ready to go. The key to the dish, though, is to make it at least an hour or so ahead of time so all the flavors have a chance to mingle and meld. I actually made this during my lunch hour (a definite benefit of working from home) so there was plenty of time for everything to come together. (It also makes for delicious leftovers which is good for Jason since I’m heading off tomorrow for yet another business trip.)

Mmm summer on a plate…even if it is two months too soon!

Roasted Shrimp and Orzo Salad
Adapted slightly from Ina Garten

Ingredients:
½ pound orzo
¼ cup lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
¼ cup plus 1 TBL olive oil
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bunch scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ cucumber, seeded and diced
½ cup red onion, diced
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1.Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook according to package directions (usually about 9-10 minutes) until done.  While pasta cooks, whisk together lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, salt and pepper.
2.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking pan with aluminum foil. Place shrimp on pan, drizzle with 1 TBL olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for about 6 minutes until shrimp are cooked through.
3.When pasta is done, drain and pour into a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over hot pasta and stir well.
4.Add shrimp to the orzo and then add scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, and salt/pepper to taste. Toss well. Add feta and stir carefully.
5.Set aside at room temperature for at least 1 hour (more if you can do it!) or you can also refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, bring back to room temperature before serving.