MOORE Pasta Puccini Salad and a Garden Party

This is my favorite Cold Pasta Salad to make for a Garden Party, BBQ, or any warm day. The ingredients are fresh and flavorful. I use a small pasta, Acini de Pepe, which adds to the texture in a slight and not overpowering way, not giving you the sense of a mouthful of pasta. It looks like an Israeli Couscous, but it really is a pasta.

I co-hosted a neighborhood Garden Party with our dear neighbors, they are in their 80's, but they run circles around me. I just love their energy, great health, wisdom, upbeat attitude  and love for travel. They have just returned  from Florence for the umpteenth time, I would like to be like them when I grow up!

Moore's Pasta Puccini

I woke up the next day and completely forgot to add an ingredient, it was still delicious! Pine Nuts!

Cashew Asparagus Pasta

Judy's Pasta Salad with Cannellini Beans and Artichoke hearts. Delicious

Lentil Salad~ a wonderful combination of veggies and citrus, delicious cold.

A beautiful array of wonderful dishes for our Pot Luck. It just turned out to be all Vegetarian.

Lovely Garden, wonderful design, love the bordering rocks

One of the beautiful Gardens.

A lovely Hydrangea

 

A lovely spot to enjoy a cocktail.

Men discussing ART

New Friends

Thank you for the lovely party, I am so lucky to have such wonderful neighbors and friends.

 Moore Pasta Puccini
Ingredients

1 lb Acini De Pepe Pasta
1 bunch Basil chiffonade
6 ounces Kalamata Olives pitted and chopped
1 6 Ounces Goat Cheese
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes quartered
Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Pine Nuts ( browned)

Directions

In a large pot bring salted water to a boil, add pasta, cook as directed on package, until pasta is Al Dente. Drain and let come to room temperature.

In a separate large bowl, add Olive Oil, Tomatoes, Basil, Goat Cheese, Kalamata Olives, Pine Nuts and toss to coat, add fresh ground pepper. After the pasta has cooled, add to the other ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator. Toss when ready to serve. Sprinkle Basil Chiffonade over pasta.
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Easy Summer Caprese Bread

Summer in Maine! I really appreciate the warm days in Maine. I didn't appreciate it when I lived in L.A., everyday was a warm day. No sir, I didn't and I am sorry for that. But boy- oh - boy, let me tell you how beautiful it is here. It seems like everyone from the South is visiting for a reprieve from the hot sticky weather. Coastal Maine has cool sea breezes, low humidity, and my basil plants are bursting!
So I made Easy Caprese Bread. 

Ingredients:

• Baguette
• Buffalo Mozzarella
• Tomato
• Basil
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Grey Salt
• Provencal Spice 
• Cucumber

Directions:

1. Slice baguette into thin slices.
2. Slice mozzarella into thin slices.
3. Slice tomato into thin slices- I see a pattern here!
4. Place a slice of bread on platter, then a slice of tomato, then a slice of mozzarella. Top with a piece of basil. 
5. Crush garlic on top of Caprese Bread.
6. Drizzle Olive Oil. 
7. Combine grey salt and Provencal spices and crush with your fingers over the top. 
8. Repeat the process to make as many Caprese Bread as you like, one platter or two, depending on how many people you are serving.

Sliced up cucumber to dip into the oil, salt and spices.

                                               Grey Salt from Provence, France

Un-pickled Cucumber.

                                      .                                            .

                                                             Basil Pot.

Caprese Bread with a bottle of Cellardoor Winery's Chardonnay. Art Label by artist R. Kirk Moore.

Love the women's faces on the vase.

                                               A favorite Summer Flower. Black Eyed Susan's..

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