“A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing and the lawn mower is broken.”
– James Dent
I awoke to the smell of fresh-baked pie. Sure enough, there was a pie cooling on the counter. I was young and it was a hot Sunday in June. We were going to spend the day at a lake we frequented as a family. We would have a picnic under our big willow tree, then hit the beach.
Those hopes were dashed when I looked out the window and saw the fields of alfalfa that my dad had just mowed and crushed, meaning only one thing. We had a stretch of great weather without a hint of rain. That hay had to be raked, baled, picked up and stacked in the barn.
This all had to happen within a three- to four-day window with perfect weather. If any moisture got onto that cut hay, the nutritional content would deteriorate rapidly, resulting in a lot less milk. With 80 cows to feed and our family depending on their milk production, that wasn’t an option. We all knew it was all hands on deck for the next several days.
I watched as the men who came to help were given the sandwiches, salads and pie intended for our picnic. Oh, how I secretly wished that the mower had broken down. We would have been given a reprieve from helping my dad, and we could have gone to the lake instead. I look back now and realize it was selfish of me to think that way, but in the eyes of a child, all that was important was having fun.
The following weekend I woke up to my mother making her salads and packing them in Mason jars to put in the cooler for a day at the lake. Sandwiches were made, a pie was baked for dessert, and off we went to our favorite spot under that big willow tree. Those picnics were the best of times.
As I got older, we continued to enjoy every bit of warm weather by eating outside. No matter who you are with, it makes time spent together much more enjoyable and makes eating an event. Face it: Everything tastes better outside.
In my opinion, salads are the main event at cookouts. They round out the meal. My potato salad was a given at these outings. That is, until I made this month’s recipe: Susan Torsilieri’s favorite tortellini salad.
I met Sue at a party this past January. Our conversation led to a shared connection and some laughs when I found out she hailed from New Jersey. Say no more. I knew at that moment that she would know a few things about food.
Sue moved to a summer cottage on Bailey Island in 2009. Ten years later she moved to her home in Harpswell Center. Sue is a very talented artist with an emphasis on watercolors. She is a member of the Sebascodegan Artists Group. Because she has mastered the skill of patience, her work tends to be highly detailed. The results are just beautiful.
When Sue is not creating art, she is in the kitchen. She loves to cook. Her recipe for tortellini salad is amazing. This salad is so good, it could be the main dish at any event, indoors or outdoors. I have made this a few times now and folks always have polished it off by the end of the meal. It’s that good.
So whether you celebrate Father’s Day, welcome the summer solstice, or observe International Picnic Day on June 18, go for it! Leave the cellphones at home, pack up some goodies, enjoy the warm weather and get out of the house. Make this tortellini salad for your next outing. Believe me, you will be making it again and again. Enjoy!
Tortellini salad
Ingredients:
1 pound cooked tortellini
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
3/4 cup Italian wide leaf parsley, chopped
2/3 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 cup black olives, pitted
Grated Parmesan cheese
Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
Directions:
To make the dressing, whisk the mustard and vinegar together. Add salt and pepper. Continue whisking while dribbling in oil in a slow, steady stream. Add garlic and basil. Set aside.
To make the salad, cook tortellini according to package directions in salted boiling water. Drain tortellini well and toss, while still hot, with 2/3 cup vinaigrette, parsley, onion and red bell pepper. Cool to room temperature. Add remaining vinaigrette and olives. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate. Before serving, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. (I use freshly grated Parmesan.)
Cooking at 43° North, a program of Harpswell Aging at Home, brings Harpswell residents together for cooking programs, in person and online. Watch the Anchor calendar for listings.
Harpswell Aging at Home always needs cooks for its Meals in a Pinch program, which provides nutritious meals to older residents in need of emergency assistance. For more information, contact Julie Moulton at 207-330-5416 or juliemoulton28@gmail.com.
