Risoni salad with cucumber & tomatoes
Today I gave my last workshop on how to photograph a cake. And it wasn’t my best one either… That kind of bothers me, as it always does when I feel a workshop didn’t go exactly as planned, but now that it is the last one it feels even more wrong. Not that it was a complete disaster but I wasn’t in the right flow and the right mindset. The beginning was messy as the space I am renting to give the workshop wasn’t finished yet and they were cleaning and hovering when the first people came in. They were early, so no one’s fault really but still… It was a tiny group but to be honest I think after having done this workshop for almost 5 years, it is due time for me to stop. I don’t feel the ‘love’ anymore, which is the reason I decided to stop anyway. And maybe it was just my feeling… I do hope that the girls who came did get something out of it!
But all good things have to end at some point. Loving the new workshop.. 
And truthfully, how long can you give a workshop before it starts to get really boring for yourself? Which gives me renewed respect for teachers. How do you teach the same stuff to teenagers or kids for years and years and years? Does that get boring at some point too? But enough about the workshop; what I really want to talk to you about is this delicious and healthy salad.
After having fallen of the healthy wagon for a bit, it was time to get on board again and I had loads of leftovers in the fridge that were perfect for making a delicious lunch salad. It was fairly sunny outside so shot the food on your garden table, which turned out the be not ideal as the sun kept showing it’s head, so I had to rush a little bit in between bursts of sunshine. We’ve recently been buying a couple of really nice backgrounds for photography… Let me phrase that differently; we’ve been buying some new furniture which can also very well double as photo backgrounds… You start to look at things very differently don’t you? Haha… Not sure if Tom always agrees although he is very good at spotting pretty photo/furniture things…
Anyway, this salad is quick to make and would also be very good with leftovers from a previous pasta meal. I used risoni here which is a very small pasta type and best resembles rice in terms of size. This is a lovely light and fresh salad, which is ideal for a sunny warm day when you want something healthy and quick…
Risoni salad with cucumber and tomatoes
Yield: 1
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 12 min
Total Time: 22 min
Risoni is a type of pasta that best resembles rice in terms of size. Structure wise it is definitely pasta! Also known as orzo
Ingredients:
- 75 gr risoni
- 1/2 cucumber, cut into ribbons
- 2-3 tbsp greek yoghurt
- 4-5 cherry tomatoes
- 50 gr sweet peas
- lettuce of your choice
- pesto
- mustard cress
- 1 lemon
- 2-3 radishes
- salt and pepper
- parmesan, optional
Directions:
- Bring salted water to the boil and prepare your risoni according to package instructions. Add the frozen peas to the water for the last two minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and leave to cool off.
- Cut your cucumber into ribbons, slice the tomatoes in quarters or halves, cut your radishes into thin slices.
- Make a dressing with your yoghurt, pesto, lemonjuice and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix the risoni with all the vegetables and add a few tablespoons of your dressing. Mix well and taste if it needs anything extra.
- Put the salad leaves in a bowl and add the risoni salad on top. Finish off with adding some mustard cress on top or you can add a little bit of shaved parmesan if you like too.
Appetizer
Asian
Bread
Breakfast
Desserts & other sweets
Healthy
A fabulous salad! Colorful, appetizing and tasty.
Cheers,
Rosa
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Lovely salad: my big bowl of luncheon pasta is suddenly telling me off in no uncertain terms
! Well, shall we say from the first day of spring . . . it’s at the end of the week, after all 
!
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A delightful good for you salad which I toatlly love!
I also love risoni!
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Stunning – here is where I am torn. I cook. Photography is an art, as is cooking… but to take the time to do what you just did with this salad – STUNNING – means a whole other process PLUS cooking… that is why my photos are so simple… I do the best I can under the circumstances I allow./provide – and think my signature prairie wooden bench says is all. I can’t say I will never be better. I always get better… but I can say I will never be this good.
V
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Simone (junglefrog) — August 29th, 2012 at 06:35
I don’t always take a lot of time really but it probably helps a lot that I don’t have to think about any technical things so much…;) but thanks for the compliments Valerie…
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You know it’s funny, the four of us are one our way to the fourth Plate to Page and we love it more each time. Maybe it is because we work as team, which keeps it lively, on track and fun. Maybe it is because we’ve not been doing it for as long as you have? I truly think if you don’t feel so into it you should take a step back. I don’t doubt but you have a lot of information and enthusiasm to impart, but only part of that is whether we are good at teaching or not. Part of it is whether or not we are completely feeling the enthusiasm. Burnout is not unusual. Take time off and rethink a new approach? Could be a fun change, too. Shake it up, baby! But I know how talented you are at cooking, styling and shooting and I would definitely take your workshop! Love this salad and ooooh we should be eating like this more often, too.
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Simone (junglefrog) — August 29th, 2012 at 06:33
I think it is hard to compare my little workshop with plate 2 page…
but yes I am not feeling the love so much anymore and definitely time for a new approach or new content
I also think it probably helps if you do it with more people, you can always complement each other and fill the gaps if someone doesn’t have the right frame of mind at some point. I’m loving the new workshop which I do with a stylist together, so let’s see what happens next!
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I lectured for 8 years, and each year what kept it fresh for me was the different students and dynamics of the class – it was as if each class had their own personality and what worked in getting a message across to one class might not work with another, so I had to think of a new way of illustrating a point. Loved it. But if you are not feeling the love, then it is time to stop for a bit (and as you say, teach something different
) Love this salad – so colourful yet also satisfying!
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Simone (junglefrog) — August 29th, 2012 at 06:36
Thanks Jeanne! Yes definitely time to think about what to do next with this workshop. Already got a couple of people being disappointed that I stopped so we’ll see!
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Oh if only I were closer, I’d be begging after looking at all of your photographs. Your talent is amazing. You make a pretty good salad too.
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I have never attended a workshop, forget about teaching one
so i do not have a clue. Only wish I had got a chance to learn about photography from pros like you guys! The salad is stunning. The colors and flavors. I have never had this pasta. the closest to rice was orzo for me. The pesto dressing is beautiful too.
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Simone (junglefrog) — September 4th, 2012 at 06:14
O but that is the same! Orzo and risoni are one and the same thing. I knew there was another name but forgot. Thanks for reminding me!
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