Worlds collide in Med-Mex Orzo Salad

(Cupfuls of fresh herbs add fresh flavor to this lemony orzo salad)

Orzo is a peculiar little pasta with a bit of a personality complex. It thinks it could be rice, but it's not. Its versatility lends it to myriad recipes, from soups and salads to casseroles and, ahem, a pasta-like risotto.

For a light, summer pasta salad, orzo can't be beat. You can add just about anything to it and you've got yourself a crowdpleaser.
On a mission to bring a dish to a recent pot-luck picnic, I turned to the little box of orzo I had tucked away in the cupboard. With some roasted corn kernels in the freezer from last season and tons of fresh herbs in the garden, I figured I had a winning combination starting with just that.

But two worlds collided as I wrestled with what flavors would star in this dish — Mexican or Mediterranean? I wanted the punch of feta and Kalamata olives to be soothed by chewy chickpeas, but I also wanted a little heat to spark that roasted corn. And with the amount of coriander popping up all over the garden like the "weed" it can become, I knew I had to use fistfuls of that fabulous herb as well.

Enter the Med-Mex Orzo Salad, a happy pairing of two cuisines rolled into one big happy salad.
Go creative with this; add what you have; douse it with lemon and be stingy with the oil. It doesn't take much to shine. Do go heavy on the fresh herbs — it's like adding salad greens packed with flavors. I used many of them, about 2 cups total.

This salad will feed a big crowd at your next summer get-together.

Lemony Med-Mex Orzo Salad

For the salad:

1. 1 box orzo, cooked according to package directions, drained and cooled
2. 4-5 spring onions, chopped
3. 2 cups roasted corn kernels
4. 1 sweet red bell pepper, diced
5. 1 small hot chili pepper, minced
6. 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
7. 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
8. 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
9. 2 cups total, fresh herbs, chopped: mint, parsley, coriander, oregano, chives, basil

For the dressing:

1. Juice of 1 lemon
2. Zest of 1 lemon
3. 1/2 cup olive oil
4. 2 tablespoons Tamari
5. 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6. Salt and pepper, to taste

• Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Toss all of the salad ingredients together in a big bowl.
• Stir in the dressing and mix well.
• This salad would also work well served in lettuce leaf "cups" or wrappers.