The kids and I have been picking and shelling fresh peas from the garden, and while I do freeze/can the extra garden produce to eat during the winter months, I also love to eat seasonally and make the most out of the fresh garden pickings. I found this delicious recipe on Pinterest, and was able to use fresh peas, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, and herbs from my garden. I mixed it up in the early afternoon and let it chill until dinner. I paired it with fresh potatoes (cooked in the pressure cooker) from our potato fields. It was a perfect summer dinner, straight from the garden.
BROCCOLI BACON RANCH PASTA SALAD
-2 cups shell pasta, cooked and drained
-2 cups fresh broccoli florets
-1 cup chopped tomatoes
-1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
-1 cup sweet peas, cooked
-10 slices bacon, crumbled (or you can cheat and add real bacon pieces)
-2 green onions, chopped
-fresh dill and basil, chopped
-about 3/4-1 cup prepared ranch dressing (please don't use the hidden valley bottled stuff...i would suggest a dry pkg. mix or my homemade ranch dressing)
Cook and drain pasta, run under cold water to cool. Add remaining ingredients and toss with ranch dressing. Cover and refrigerate.