VACATION TIME. It conjures images of families gathered at the beach or at mountain retreats or lakeside cabins with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins of all ages enjoying a few days together. And everyone is hungry. All. The. Time. Some families divide kitchen duty with each branch providing meals for the crowd on specified days. So if your family vacation is coming up soon, you are in luck! We asked our readers to send in recipes they enjoy with their families — here we share a great recipe from a Delta Magazine reader to try when it’s your “day” to feed the whole gang.
PASTA SHRIMP SALAD
This salad is one of those recipes you can truly make your own. Add your favorite fresh and marinated vegetables, substitute chicken for the shrimp or add none at all and it makes a wonderful side.
1 16-ounce box shell or bowtie pasta
1 bell pepper chopped, color of your choice
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, chopped
1 14-ounce can hearts of palm, sliced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 jar marinated baby corn
1 bag fresh baby spinach (when pasta is hot)
1 container cherry or grape tomatoes
5 to 6 radishes, stemmed, cleaned and sliced
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 pound shrimp, cooked and peeled
1 tablespoon Tony’s seasoning (or to taste)
Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Mix dressing and set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with Tony’s seasoning and pour 2 tablespoons of the dressing over hot pasta. Toss lightly. While still warm, fold in fresh spinach to wilt slightly. Then toss in remaining vegetables and shrimp. Best if allowed to sit a while to absorb flavors.
LEMON VINAIGRETTE
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
juice of 3 r 4 lemons
olive oil, approximately 1 cup or more
Place first four ingredients in shallow bowl. Mix together with a fork until it resembles wet sand. Mix lemon juice with salt mixture, stirring until the salt dissolves. Pour into a 16 ounce jar and add enough olive oil so that the lemon mixture equals one-third of the salad dressing. Store in the refrigerator and remove at least 1 hour before and shake well before serving.
Submitted by Jo Parker, Cleveland, MS
Tip: This dressing is a fabulous marinade for fresh green beans or asparagus.
