From the garden

From the garden, originally uploaded by *Lovelight*.

Cherry tomatoes, 'Marketmore' cucumber, basil, and shallots. All of this came out of my backyard! I made it all into a pasta salad

Pasta Salad

1/2 lb tricolor rotini or fusilli pasta
3 T olive oil
2 T Balsamic vinegar
1 T Dijon or stoneground mustard
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion
3 T chopped fresh basil
1/2 cucumber, sliced
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/8 cup shredded parmesan
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to directions, drain & rinse under cold running water.
While pasta is cooling, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and seasonings in a large bowl. Add all vegetables except the tomatoes (refrigeration causes their flavor to deteriorate) and pasta. Mix gently until blended, and allow to sit in fridge for 1 hour. When ready to serve, add tomatoes and parmesan, mix gently. Buon appetito!