Orzo and Radicchio Salad

Last Year's Post: Pan Bagnat

This is a different kind of salad in the best sense of the word.  First of all, orzo and radicchio are not the most common ingredients in the world.  (The check-out guy at the grocery store actually picked up the head of radicchio and asked me, "what is this little dude"?)  Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta that acts as the neutral binder for all the other big flavors in this salad - slightly bitter and crunchy radicchio and arugula, salty feta, toasty pine nuts, sweet tomatoes, and spicy radishes.  A tart lemon dressing is the finishing fresh touch.

The salad is hearty enough to be a meal on its own if you're looking for a vegetarian entrée (The Lawyer actually mentioned that and I agree).  Or, its bold flavors stand up very well to any kind of grilled meat - burgers, chicken, steak or ribs are a perfect match.  Plus, the salad is served at room temperature so it's ideal for picnics or any other summer gathering and can easily be doubled for larger gatherings.  As I'm writing this I'm thinking of my friend Karrine, who entertains almost every weekend all summer at her lake home.   Hi Karrine - try it out and let me know what you think!  It has lots of delicious veggies so it's very healthy also.

So, about radicchio - you'll find it near the cabbages in the produce aisle. As I mentioned, it's crunchy and slightly bitter, which I really like.  If you want to mellow the bitterness a little and add some smoky flavor at the same time, you can grill the radicchio prior to chopping it for the salad.  It's really easy - just cut the radicchio into wedges (through the core so the leaves stay attached), brush with a little olive oil, and grill on the cut sides until grill marks appear.

Before grilling, brushed with olive oil

After grilling

You don't want to grill it to death, you just want grill marks and a very slight amount of wilting - just a minute or two per cut side.  Or, don't grill it at all and just chop it for the salad - it's up to you.

About the greens in the salad - they're not THE main component as in a lettuce salad, but they're one of the three main components including radicchio and orzo. You can use either arugula or spinach.  I actually found a bag of mixed baby spinach and arugula at the store that worked perfectly.

With all the bold flavors this is definitely a big boy/big girl salad.  If you have munchkins they probably won't like it unless they have pretty sophisticated palates.  Of course, I've seen kids at sushi restaurants chowing down on raw fish, so what do I know?  Make it even if they won't like it. I mean, really.  Parents shouldn't have to be relegated to a steady diet of mac and cheese and hot dogs just because they have kids.  Give them some jello or something while you eat your nice salad.  I'm just sayin'.

printable recipe

Orzo and Radicchio Salad
Serves 6

 Note:  the salad can be made 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.  Leftovers may be chilled, but for entertaining purposes the salad is best when fresh and not refrigerated.

 8 ounces orzo

¼ cup fresh lemon juice plus 1 lemon cut into 6 wedges
¼ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
½ small head radicchio
1/3 cup roasted tomatoes (or ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes), chopped
4-5 radishes, thin sliced
4 cups baby arugula or spinach, coarsely chopped
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

 Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook orzo according to directions; drain well.  While the orzo is cooking, whisk together the ¼ cup lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add the hot orzo to the dressing and toss.  Let orzo come to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

 The radicchio may be cored and coarsely chopped fresh, or it may be grilled prior to coring and chopping.  If you choose to grill the radicchio, cut the half head into two pieces through the core and lightly brush with olive oil on both cut sides.  Grill over medium heat for a minute or two on each of the cut sides, just long enough to wilt slightly and produce grill marks.  Core and chop.

 When the orzo has cooled to room temperature, add all the remaining ingredients except the feta cheese and toss well.  Add the feta and toss gently to combine.  Taste and adjust seasonings. 

 Serve at room temperature with lemon wedges to squeeze over the salad.

Greek Shrimp and Orzo

The weather has definitely turned to fall lately, mostly on on the cloudy, rainy and cold side.  Personally I'd rather be lounging on a Greek Island so it's time to make this Greek Shrimp and Orzo dish and pretend.  I first made this dish many years ago when my friend Susie came over for dinner.  The reason I still remember it is because Mike the Irish Wolfhound was laying between the kitchen and dining room and Susie had to step over him.  If you're not familiar with Irish Wolfhounds, they're the tallest dog breed in the world.  Mike weighed 160 pounds and measured 8 feet from nose to tail.  Just as Susie started to step over him, Mikey decided to stand up and Susie kind of ended up riding him around the kitchen.  Pretty amusing.  Anyway, it made the evening stand out in my memory, including the fabulous baked shrimp dish.  I'm pretty sure Susie still remembers that night also. 

I have a rating system for recipes from 1 to 5 stars and never keep anything rated less than 4.5 stars (yes, I give half stars in a pinch).  My note from that night on the recipe is not only 5 stars, but I also added the comment "very excellent". Any time I add a comment like that it means I wish I could have given it even more stars.  If you like Greek food you really should try it.  Not familiar with orzo?  It's actually a small pasta shaped like rice and it's quite common in Greek cooking.  You'll find it with the other pastas in the grocery aisle.

What makes this dish great is the combination of tender shrimp, rich tomatoes, salty feta and meaty olives.  It's easy to make and it's great for entertaining or for a family meal.  It serves four so double the recipe for entertaining.  Well, unless your entertaining involves four people, of course.  :-)  Go easy on the salt because feta and kalamata olives are both salty - you can always add more at the table.

Making this dinner was a great excuse to go out and buy a pretty new gratin baking dish, which I've wanted for some time.  I debated over the color and finally chose red over blue, only to figure out that you can't even see the color in the pictures because it's only on the outside of the dish.  But I still like it, especially the oval shape.  If you don't happen to have a cool oval baking dish, just use whatever baking dish you have on hand.

click here for a printable recipe

Greek Shrimp and Orzo

Serves 4

½ medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ dry white wine
1 (14-15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
8 ounces dried orzo (pasta)
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
8 ounces feta, patted dry and crumbled
Lemon wedges for garnish

Preheat oven to 425d.

Cook onion, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes in 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring until onion is softened, about 3 minutes.  Add wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and salt, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes.  Stir shrimp into sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are barely cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook orzo in a pot of boiling water according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup cooking water, then drain orzo in a sieve.  Return orzo to the pot and toss with remaining tablespoon olive oil.  Stir in sauce with shrimp and reserved cooking water, then add olives and salt and pepper to taste.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray (or use oil).  Spoon half of the pasta into the dish, then sprinkle with half of feta.  Top with remaining pasta and feta, then bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for approximately 15 minutes until the pasta is heated through and the cheese is slightly melted.

Garnish each serving with a lemon wedge.