It's Too Hot Out Recipe

It's too hot out to go on a picnic. / It's too hot out to play with the dog. / It's too hot out to dig in the garden. / It's too hot out to hop, skip or jog. / Too hot! Too hot! / It's so very hot! / Too hot! Too hot! / It's really too hot!

I can't stop singing this song. It's from the first grade phonics program I taught for six years, teaching none other than the short vowel sound /o/. Good times.

What the song doesn't include is that it's too hot to cook. So here's a recipe for you - cool to cook, cool to eat.

Lentil Orzo Salad

1 cup of dried brown lentils (follow directions on package to cook)
1/4 - 1/2 cup uncooked orzo (cook according to directions on package)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1-2 handfuls cherry tomatoes, halved
3-4 green onions, sliced
1 handful kalamata olives, sliced
1 tsp. dried dill
juice of 1 lemon
splash of apple cider vinegar
a glug of olive oil
1-2 handfuls crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Cook lentils. Cook orzo. Chill in fridge a bit. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and chill some more. It'll get better with time. Before serving, toss in a handful or two of arugula (or spinach or whatever greens you like).

Mmmmmmmmm. Serve with chilled melon (watermelon and feta are so delish together). Eat outside when the evening finally starts to cool off. Enjoy!

Based on a recipe from the cookbook Vegetariana by Nava Atlas. I futzed with the recipe a lot, and you can too, based on what you've got in the fridge.

And a gratuitous Viv photo from cooler days gone by (she's trying to grab the camera).