Here’s a nice summery sweet and sour salad I’ve been experimenting with lately. It’s adapted from "Vinegar Noodles," a recipe I clipped out of a magazine, probably from Taste of Home. It reminds me of my mother’s cucumber and onion salad, crossed with a 1980s pasta salad. Adjust the sugar/vinegar balance to your taste.

Summer Noodles
a work in progress

• 2-3 cups uncooked spiral pasta. I use tri-color brown rice pasta.
• 1 or 2 cucumbers, about 1/12-2 cups, sliced very thin
• 1 onion, about 1 cup, halved and sliced very thin
• fresh parsley, chopped, maybe 1/4 cup
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced very fine, or use a garlic press
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 c white wine vinegar
• 2/3 c white sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp (1/2 tablespoon) brown mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Cook pasta to package directions. Drain.

While pasta is cooking, whisk together in large bowl

water
sugar
vinegar
mustard
salt
pepper
garlic
parsley

Add warm pasta and sliced vegetables, toss well. Refrigerate at least an hour.

If I had fresh dill, I'd probably add that, too.

Really good with leftover herbed pork roast. Cut pork into cubes and heat about two minutes in the microwave; while still warm, toss into the noodles. I'll bet it would be good with canned or fresh-cooked garbanzo beans or kidney beans, too.

Tags: noodles, salads, pasta, vegetables, one pot meals