I know, trust me.  No one is more surprised than me to see food here in this space.  Particularly raw, green, crunchy food!

It has been ages since I’ve posted any recipes or even indicated that I still cared about food or cooking here.  You guys have been so patient and understanding, and I am so grateful.  I could offer a million excuses – pregnant, no appetite, moving, busy, uninspired – and while all of those are true, the reality is I just haven’t been at all interested in food for months now.  I have fondly nicknamed baby #2 “the baked potato” because that has been his or her main food source for nineteen weeks.

Of course I can’t expect Cullen and Casey to starve and join my potato fest, so I am still throwing together really simple meals each night.  And while this space is most definitely important to me, I feel like I owe it to you guys to offer up things that are worth sharing, not just things to fill space if you know what I mean.

And so I’ve shared family pictures, stories, and odds and ends in between, but not much food.  I’ve been feeling pretty guilty about the lack of green in my diet, and I’m finally just turning the corner where I can imagine eating things like salad.  So last night I threw together a simple raw chard salad – I thank the fresh basil on my windowsill for some much needed inspiration!

As I tossed the leaves in my hands and rubbed in the dressing, I pondered digging my camera out to take pictures for the first time in a month.  This salad is by no means fancy or mind-blowing, but it IS delicious, and it’s really easy to throw together.  I questioned sharing it here as I clicked each photo and said, “I don’t know…it’s pretty basic.”  Casey just kept munching and telling me how good it was though, so you can blame him for seeing it here today.  Here goes!

When I initially made this, I wasn’t planning on posting it as a recipe.  I made it during the tail end of Cullen’s nap a few days ago – I’m trying to do a lot more make-ahead stuff so I have things ready to go for him when dinner time rolls around.  It’s a cold (or room temperature) pasta salad, so I set it on the counter to marinate and develop flavor while we went about our afternoon.

But I kept walking by and sneaking another bite.  And then another, and then another.  I could not stop eating it.  And as soon as Casey walked in the door, I found myself putting it into pretty bowls and taking pictures of it – if I couldn’t stop eating it, it wasn’t fair not to share it.

It is so simple, and yet so packed with flavor.  A perfect quick weeknight dish, or something to take along to a potluck or party.  The longer it sits, the better it gets, but I guarantee you it won’t last very long!

Lemon Parsley Pasta Salad

by Emily Malone

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minute

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

• 1 pound spaghetti pasta
• 1 cup parsley leaves, minced
• 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds, chopped

Instructions

Boil pasta according to package directions.  My mother-in-law turned me onto this Jovial pasta – it’s einkorn wheat, which is really different from the wheat we are currently used to eating.  Here’s a bit more from their website…

Einkorn is very different from all other varieties of wheat. It was the first species of wheat grown by man more than 12,000 years ago. Now considered a relic crop, it has practically been forgotten because its yield is low in the fields and its type of gluten makes bread-baking a challenge.  Ancient grains are inherently more nutritious than modern varieties. Einkorn is the most ancient wheat and is the result of Mother Nature’s untouchable craftsmanship.

It has a great nutritional profile – really high in protein, iron, and B vitamins, all of which are so important for vegetarians.  Anyway, that’s my long-winded gush over our new favorite pasta.  Back to cooking!

While pasta is cooking, chop the parsley and almonds. The more, the better!  In a small, separate dish, whisk dressing ingredients together until well combined.

Once pasta is cooked, drain in a colander and allow it to sit until excess water has mostly run off. Put pasta in a large mixing bowl and top with parsley and almonds.

Pour dressing in top, and mix everything together. Allow mixture to sit for at least 15-20 minutes so that the flavor develops and soaks into the noodles well.

Pasta is best served room temperature, but is also delicious as leftovers. This is meant to be more of a cold noodle dish than warm. Reheating is not necessary!

I know I said it already, but we seriously could not stop eating this.  In fact, it served as what was one of our first weeknight dinners ever!  Casey walked in the door right as Cullen was getting ready to eat, and rather than wait we dished out two big bowls for ourselves.  The three of us pretty much devoured the whole pound of pasta – scary. 

The only thing to watch out for?  I had a major case of parsley teeth afterward.  So embarrassing.  Of course it took me twenty minutes and too many long conversations to realize it. 

Other than picking up some fresh parsley, you likely have all the other fixings for this in your pantry and fridge.  Put it on your menu for this week – promise me.

As always, enjoy!