Boy am I tired!! My legs are aching – I need to elevate them!
Faith + Tate just returned from a trip up north and we just had to go see them. Faith suggested a walk on the Monticello Trail.
Having just worn myself out in the yard and taking a cold, clean shower, we initially tried to talk them out of it. But then Matt said “Trail it is!” and before we knew it we were soaked in sweat again!
Then before we knew it we had walked the whole 4 mile trail! It was lots of fun and worth it and I’m so glad we went, but man my feet could use a massage. I wonder if Matt has more massage in him after massaging our greens for dinner…
We got home at 6pm and started on dinner:
Strawberry Basil Pasta Salad
My farmer’s market basil somehow ended up on the dining room table in a mug. (Well I put it there, but that’s not a normal place where I’d put an herb in a “vase”.) I am SO into it!! Every time I walk by the table I smile. So pretty!
While I plucked leaves for dinner, Matt gave me a taste of a double IPA and lots of our freshly made keg of sparkling water. Man how I have missed it!
So back to that salad!!! It was an idea I came up with when I first saw this Pesto with Panache flavor:
Strawberry pesto!! It’s actually not sweet at all – more like very subtly juicy berry with lots of regular pesto flavor. But it was SO good and I knew I had to involve our garden strawbs in a savory dinner with it. Of course pasta was the answer>.
We cooked half a package of rotini and mixed that with a cucumber, a cup of sliced strawberries, 1/3 a cup of pesto and 1 can of navy beans. We then served all that over a bed of baby greens from our garden that we simply massaged (literally – Matt massaged them) in a teaspoon of kosher salt and 2 tsp of olive oil.
Here are the details:
Massaged Baby Greens
Ingredients
- 1 giant salad spinner of baby mixed greens like kale collards, turnip greens, chard
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Wash and spin dry greens.
- Top with salt and oil and rub with hands until greens get shiny and slightly wilted.
We determined that this salad was a bit too green and needed avocado, a crumbly cheese or some nuts, so we added some pecans halfway through dinner.
I had brownies for dessert after lunch, so I’m resisting having dessert twice and going to settle into a cold shower and my book instead. Still reading Redeeming Love and liking it just OK. The first chapter was the best and it hasn’t redeemed itself since then.
Miranda @ Working Mom Works Out says
That looks AMAZING. I like the idea of basil and berries.
Sarah @ The Strength of Faith says
(In your spare time – ha!) You should put together a KERF Kookbook and sell it at the bakery!
Liz says
I wish I had the outdoor space to grow strawberries and lived in a more temperate climate. But I have some sturdy basil growing in pots inside right now and have rotini in the cupboard…but the second strawberries show up at the farmers market I am all over this dish! Yum!
Sarah says
Stick with Redeeming Love, it gets better!! BTW, dinner looks amazing!
lynn @ the actor's diet says
those both sound terrific! i will definitely share on my facebook page – have a great rest of your weekend!
staceyhealthylife says
What an interesting and unique idea with the strawberries and pesto. I have both items so I’m gonna give this one a try.
Heather says
I love strawberries mixed with greens. I also love the idea of mixing pasta with salad greens – such a great summer meal.
Hope you got that massage!
Silvia @ skinny jeans food says
This looks like a GREAT salad! strawberries, pecans, pesto – wow!
Andrea @ a farmer in the dell says
thanks for the recipe!!! your dinner looks great!
Wine Girl @ Kitchen Doesn't Travel says
That salad looks beautiful & delicious!! I’ll definitely be trying out this recipe in the near future.
Averie (LoveVeggiesandYoga) says
Your pasta salad looks great! Both the recipe and the photography. I think you should submit it to TS. It has that total TS “look” and vibe to it. For sure the overhead shot 0379 and maybe 0362. I love the woods used in the pics.
And the recipe doesn’t sounds half bad either 🙂
Going back for seconds on brownies..and desserts…I am queen of that!
Courtney @ the granola chronicles says
I’m liking the idea of strawberries in a savory pasta/greens salad. Looks great!
Danielle @ weightsandmeasures says
I love pasta salad over salad greens. I am king of jealous of your strawberry patch. The tastes of summer.
Lauren says
That looks delicious! We drove by the bakery and it looks great! Love it! I am hoping you guy will be around there tomorrow so maybe I could see it 😉 Haha….its fine! I’ll be around a lot the summer. Just wanted to say it all looks wonderful!!
KathEats says
Cool!! I’ll be there this afternoon 🙂
Baking 'n' Books says
WIsh I had your willpower to resist “dessert”! Do you find living with Matt helps you keep things in moderation more? I feel living alone it’s just a free for all with me…yikes.
Angel7 says
That strawberry pesto sounds great! I like the ingredients you incorporated with it!
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Tori (Fresh Fruition) says
Aww, your strawberries look so amazing! I’m so excited for my little strawberry babies to grow 🙂
How long did it take yours to get to that size?
KathEats says
They’re been growing for a few years, and this year we started to see buds like a month ago?
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
That looks like such a refreshing combo. love the idea of strawberries with basil.
kaila @ healthy helper! says
what a unique mix of flavors! wow I would have never thought of that going together….but it looks delicious!
Kate says
I love the idea of strawberries and basil so summery.
Meagan says
All I could think about was how beautiful that wooden table was and the wooden bowl!
Lesley Lifting Life says
Excellent use of all those strawberries … it sounds fabulous!
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
Oh that pasta salad looks delicious! I am really into that whole berry/pesto thing!
Katherine says
Have that dessert. What is the worse that will happen? Exactly, nothing. But you will be happy and fulfilled 🙂
On another note, that dinner looks amazing!
Julie H. says
My mom wanted to buy me flowers. “They’re so pretty!” she says. I do agree…. BUT “I think vegetables and fruits are pretty!” 🙂 Love the basil on the table!
Kate (What Kate is Cooking) says
You’ve had quite the active day! I have such a hang-up about getting dirty right after a shower, so I admire the fact that you still went on a walk 🙂
Layla says
That looks so so delicious. Where can I get pesto with panache?
KathEats says
I linked to it in the post – OpenSky
Kathleen @ KatsHealthCorner says
I don’t think those strawberries would have ever ended into my salad! I would have eaten them all up!!! 🙂
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
Yummm! I love strawberries in any sorta of salads, so I can imagine they’d be great in a pasta salad as well. Very nice!
Hannah says
Strawberry and pesto? That’s ingenious! Even if I’ll probably never try it 😛
Rachel @ Grateful Girl Goes Gluten Free says
You are SO good at coming up with fresh delicious recipes. I need to look at your recipe page more often!
Dee says
This does look amazing!
Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife says
very green 🙂 I don’t love cold pasta,though….
Ashley says
My mom and I are sitting here and read this post together. She thought the pasta salad sounded amazing!! As did I. 🙂
Khushboo says
With the strawberries and basil, your pasta salad screams summer! I’m so on to it! I need a massage too- my body is SO stiff and my run this morning didn’t help :(!
Kristen @ The Red Velvet Life says
Mmm such a great way to use strawberries! Love them in my salads usually, but added to pasta salad sounds even more yummy-licious. 🙂
Lenna says
It looks gorgeous!! I have never heard of strawberry pesto before..
Liv @ The Salty n' Sweet says
That salad looks beautiful! I love any kind of strawberry salad, and that addition of both blue cheese AND feta is genius!
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
I love having fruit like mango, apples, and pears in my salads, but I’ve never thought to try strawberries in a savory meal. It looks good!
Stephanie @ StephSnacks says
I am a total fanatic of anything with pesto and this looks mouth-watering!
The Healthy Hipster says
Strawberries and pesto! What a unique combo! Can’t wait to try 🙂
Shelley says
Hi Kath! That salad looks so tasty! a great combo for sure, i was just wondering what was the address of your old blog? I saw it in one of your posts but can’t remember which one 🙂
KathEats says
You mean this embarrassing this? http://www.katheats.blogspot.com/
Shelley says
Awesome that was it! Its not embarrassing, i was interested in it as i’m currently trying to lose weight and was wondering how many calories a day you were having when you were losing weight. Im currently on 1200 and do either running ,yoga, weights, cycling, dancing for up an hour and a half a day and not seeing hardly any results, in your opinion how long does it take to see results i have lost 2 kilograms in nearly 5 weeks!! , i have 15 to lose. Your expertise is greatly appreciated!! 🙂
KathEats says
I ate 1800ish when I was losing, but I also got a lot of activity to NET about 1250. So if you see me reference 1226 – that’s NET – not total!
KathEats says
In my opinion, you aren’t eating enough!!
Shelley says
Cool thanks 🙂
Shelley says
That could be possible, but i got the meal plan from a RD, i thought it actually sounded low considering i am active, oh well will see how it goes
thank you again
KathEats says
An RD put you on 1200? Wow, that’s pretty strict. My opinion is to focus more on quality than quality. Minimize packaged food, processed food, refined carbs, desserts and alcohol and eat wholesome snacks (like fruit, nuts, yogurt) whenever your hungry and 3 meals a day built on real food.
amyt says
That looks so yummy and refreshing!
katie @KatieDid says
i bet goat cheese would have been a great addition to this also! what an awesome combo of flavors and textures, I’ll be sure to try it this summer. this never ending supply of strawberries seems to be doing you well!
Molly @ RDexposed says
I willl continue to ask-why don’t we give boquets of herbs, they smell so good and you can put them to use!
Tracy says
Did you already finish Postmistress? How was it?
I just finished Resistance after reading your comments on it…soo good!
KathEats says
I haven’t read Postmistress yet – it got second to Redeeming.
Resistance was so good!!
Angie says
Redeeming Love is wonderful! I was surprised to see it mentioned because it is a little older and I don’t know if I have ever known anyone besides myself who has read it. Enjoy it!
Justeen @ Blissful Baking says
What an awesome pasta idea! Mmm some crumbly cheese on top sounds perfect!
Mary @ Delightful Bitefuls says
This looks phenomenal! Bookmarking this to make asap! Loving all the ingredients you used!
New to your blog; happy I found you!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
Gina (Yogattude) says
I made this last night and it was phenominal! I subbed ww orzo for the pasta and chicken for the beans and added goat cheese and chopped walnut. I will definitely be making this again!