Greek Style Veggie Pasta Salad

Why are radishes so smart?
Because, they are well-red!

Get your picnic on already!  Nothing says summer like a hearty pasta salad.  We currently have a fridge waaaaaaaaaaaay too packed, so I have been trying to come up with creative dishes that use up all the ingredients.

Going slightly overboard on my last grocery shopping trip, I want to try and incorporate all these veggies before they have the chance to go bad.  They greatest thing about pasta salad, its just like regular salad- you can put almost anything into it.  I once read a magazine article about an actress who has "garbage omelettes" , where she puts almost whatever she finds in her fridge into an omelette.  Three cheers to meals made of "garbage" (not really)!

Here's what you need:
1 box of pasta salad
2 cups of cherry tomatoes, we used 2 different colors
5 large radishes
1 cup of black pitted olives
1 green pepper
1/4 cup of olive oil
spices to taste (we used 1-2 teaspoons of Mediterranean Seasoning, which contained: Chili flakes, garlic, lemon peel, dill weed, dill seed, oregano, cinnamon, mace, and spearmint leaf.  Use whatever you have on hand, mostly get some garlic powder, lemon peel, and oregano in there.)
balsamic vinegar to taste
feta for topping



Boil water with a little salt and olive oil.  I have made pasta different ways and this is the way that works for me....do whichever way that works for you.

Add 1 box of noodles.  We used some tri color Rotini, a macaroni product enriched with spinach, tomato and carrot.  (I like the idea that I can convince myself that the pasta has at least a little veggies in it.)  Cook pasta according to taste and/or box directions.

 While pasta is cooking get everything cut up and mixed together.  Wash up some tomatoes.

Slice 2 cups, then chop them in half.

Add salt and pepper.

Wash some radishes, these were pretty large so I only used 5 here.

Take off the tops and tails.

Then slice into 8ths or 6ths and add to the tomatoes.

Get about 1 cup of black pitted olives.

Quarter slice and add in.

Hello my pretty....green pepper, that is.  Slice, de-seed and chop to bite size pieces.

Add to the party.

Give everything a good mix.

Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to a smaller bowl with some spices.  I used about 1-2 teaspoons of Mediterranean Seasoning, which contained: Chili flakes, garlic, lemon peel, dill weed, dill seed, oregano, cinnamon, mace, and spearmint leaf.  Use whatever you have on hand, mostly get some garlic powder, lemon peel, and oregano in there.

 Mix with a fork, add balsamic vinegar to taste.

Mix more.

Add dressing to salad mixture.

Add slightly cooled cooked pasta.

Mix, mixer, mix.

Add some to a bowl for lunch/ taste test.

Top with feta.  I like to wait and add the feta to taste for this salad.  (and it tastes good).