I am a daydreamer when I’m cooking in my kitchen. While I was making this orzo salad, I had a fun idea for the future – wouldn’t it be amazing if we could smell the dishes we post through our devices.

If I can invent this, I’m going to call it AromaShare. Tiny sensors capturing the smell of ingredients as I cook. With a quick “Share this smell,” my kitchen will send these smells direct to your phone or tablet.

You will all literally be able to stop by my kitchen without leaving your house. Today you would have been able to smell the delicious fresh herbs and olive oil I’m using in this orzo salad. Recipes will literally come alive with the real smells of my cooking. 

I wonder if someone will read this post 25 years from now and smile, thinking, “How quaint – we’ve had AromaShare for ages!” Or perhaps they’ll marvel at how accurately I predicted the future…:)

Either way I love the idea of my country kitchen sharing not just recipes, but the heart of my cooking. Our sense of smell when it comes to food, does, after all bring us together. It connects us to memories, to places, to people we’ve loved and meals we’ve shared. For now I’ll just have to make do with good photography and lighting, but I can dream about a world where my dishes can travel across distances, bringing us all a little closer together, one delicious byte at a time 🙂 

Orzo and Feta Salad

Ingredients:

• 300g orzo pasta
• 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 70g green olives, stuffed with garlic, halved 
• 200g feta cheese, crumbled
• Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• Handful of fresh mint, chopped
• Fresh dandelion flowers to sprinkle and decorate the dish 

For the dressing:

• 60ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions until al dente, usually 8-10 minutes.
2. Drain the orzo in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
3. Add the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, feta cheese, parsley, and mint to the bowl with the orzo.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
6. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
7. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary before serving.
8. Serve in a platter and sprinkle/decorate with fresh dandelion flowers

Notes:

This Mediterranean-inspired salad is perfect for a lunch or a side dish for an evening meal. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days