Grilled Summer Squash and Orzo Salad

So I promised you a salad like, forever ago.

Sorry 'bout that.

But things happen for a reason.

You see, I took a slew of photos for this salad when I was at home in Madison. Unfortunately, I don't have a grill or a grill pan in Madison, so I decided to improvise by just roasting the veggies. It tasted great, but it felt like it was missing something.

Oh yeah, that's it - grill marks.

There we go.

Also, when I requested this dish during my vacation, my mother managed to find organic, whole wheat orzo.

I didn't even know that existed. But she found it, which is great because she knew it would make me happy, but also really weird since it made me as happy as it did...

This salad is light enough to be a side dish, but hearty enough to stand alone as a main dish. It's a great option if you're cooking for a crowd and you have a vegetarian to account for. Your meat eaters will be thrilled with a delicious and thoughtful side dish, and your vegetarians will not feel slighted in the least.

Oh, and did I mention that it is CRAZY EASY to make? Orzo is pasta - it just looks like overgrown rice. Cook it like pasta. Throw your squash on the grill, toast your pine nuts, and toss everything together.

Might I add that it's the perfect time of year to make this salad? It's the perfect temperature to do some grilling, and if you make enough for leftovers, it's good cold or reheated.

Or for breakfast. With a fried egg on the side.

Yeah that happened - I dare you to not like it.

Grilled Summer Squash and Orzo Salad
adapted from Eat Well
serves 4 generously

2 lb mixed yellow squash and zucchini
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 lb orzo
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp champagne or white wine vinegar
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup shavings Parmesan cheese

Trim and cut squash lengthwise, about 1/3 inch thick. Put in a bowl with 1/2 Tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Mix to coat.

Heat a grill to medium-high, and oil rack. Grill squash, turning once, until tender, 5-8 minutes total. Close the lid if you are using a gas grill. Cool and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, and put in a large bowl.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and rise with cold water (to stop the cooking process). Add orzo and squash along with remaining 1 Tbsp oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and pine nuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir in Parmesan shavings.

Bow Your Head to Your Heart

I've been thinking a lot lately about...thinking.

Thankfully, we do it quite a bit. We think about how to solve that nasty issue at work. We think about how we are going to coordinate fixing that dent on our car without needing to get a rental. We think about what we are going to eat for dinner. We think about what we are going to do with our lives.

All of that mulling, planning, and ruminating can take a toll on us. Specifically, our guts.

In yoga this week, the instructor was leading us through a gentle neck stretch, and she gave a simple cue: Bow your head to your heart. 

I've had a pretty rough go of it this summer, the majority of it spent on planes and in hotel beds. It has felt like every aspect of my life has come to a screeching traffic jam in the middle of that horrible intersection where five roads intersect and you never know who has the right of way.

An intersection like that requires some thought. Some strategy.

Now this is not a unique problem. I've felt this way before, but everyone has moments - or long pauses - in which they find themselves at an impasse, or at least a crossroads. When we're in high school, we're trying to determine where we should go to college, and then we have to decide what we are going to major in. Then we have to decide what we are going to switch our major to, after the first major doesn't pan out. Then, as soon as it seems like we have our feet under us with a major we actually like, people start asking us about our "plans".

"What are you going to do with that major?"

"Where do you see yourself after you graduate?"

"What are you going to do with your LIFE?"

I have always considered myself as someone who is naturally inclined to trust her gut, but who has learned and been conditioned to think things through logically and methodically. Do you remember when you had to take the Myers-Briggs test to figure out what your personality type is? Well, one question determined that I am "Thinking" and not "Feeling". One question classified me as a brain girl and not a gut girl.

But when my teacher told the class, "Bow your head to your heart," something clicked in my brain. All of the brain work that I have been doing finally created a coherent thought - it's time to take a backseat to your gut right now.

To be fair, I am not advocating brash impulsivity and wanton abandon when I say I'm trying to trust my gut. I am saying that I have learned  to handle times of stress, uncertainty, and possibly chaos, by rationalizing the issue, and creating an actionable and reasonable plan to get to a better place. Now I'm realizing that if I let my head take over for my gut in too many aspects of my life, it's really easy to feel lost. When my gut isn't part of the equation, I have nothing solid to rely on.

Physical health is all about balance - allowing yourself to indulge while also challenging yourself to make smart choices. Knowing that a rest day does the body more good than going hard eight days in a row. Doing tricep dips as well as bicep curls.

I'm learning that your emotional health is also all about balance. Our guts, hearts, and heads all need to work in harmony. When you are dealing with a tough decision, you can make a list of pros and cons that runs a mile down the road. These are good things to consider and a necessary part of any decision making process. But when that list still doesn't sway you, bow your head to your heart. Your heart will tell you what your brain can't.