Summer Vegetable Salad – What’s On Your Plate?

Welcome to the latest feature on Good Cheap Eats!

What’s on Your Plate? is designed to be a conversation amongst good eaters.

Tell us about a recent meal. Did it meet with rave reviews? Or did it bomb? What side dishes did you pair with the star of the show? Did you try a new ingredient? Find the groceries at great prices?

Share what’s on your plate!

Each week a featured foodie will share his or her plate and then the rest of us will get a chance to link up our own posts or share in the comments what good cheap eats we’ve been enjoying.

What’s on Aimée’s Plate?

This week I’m happy to introduce you to Aimée. She’s the editor of Simple Bites, one of my newer discoveries on the web this past few months. It’s quickly become a favorite as the posts are so inspiring to me in how I feed my family. Thanks to Aimée‘s encouragement, I’ve tried freezing pizza dough again, and it is working really well for me.

Check this out! I wanna eat at Aimée‘s house! And since she lives in Quebec, maybe I could brush up on my French….

Summer Vegetable Salad

Our dinner last night was a nod to summer and the fresh flavors she brings. In Quebec, where I live, asparagus is still available, and we’re enjoying it while supplies last.

I hesitate to call this a pasta salad, as organic vegetable fusilli made up less than half of the dish, but I guess it is pretty close! I put more emphasis on the vegetables, packing the dish chuck full with grilled asparagus, ripe tomatoes, red onion and brought everything together with a vibrant homemade pesto.

We loved it, especially since our weather has been insufferably hot lately.

This light, summery dish is open to interpretation, just substitute your favorite of these three elements to suit your taste:

• Pasta. How about  orzo, macaroni, or penne?
• Grilled vegetables. Try zucinni, broccoli, or cherry tomatoes.
• Pesto. Here’s my favorite go-to recipe, which I make and freeze.

I love how this dinner came together so quickly. Of course it helps if you’ve got leftover cold cooked pasta in the fridge and some cubes of pesto in the freezer.

For a more substantial meal, top the salad with grilled chicken. Serve with a tall glass of iced tea.

Bon appétit!

– Cooking has always been Aimee Wimbush-Bourque’s preferred recreational activity, creative outlet, and source of relaxation. She is a mother to two pre-schoolers and editor of Simple Bites.

What’s on YOUR Plate?

Share with us a recent meal you prepared. Either link it up below or tell us about it in the comments. Please make sure that you link to www.goodcheapeats.com in your post so others know where the dinner party is.

And don’t forget to pop around and visit the other good eaters participating today. I’m sure you will be inspired to make all sorts of Good Cheap Eats at your house.