Whole Wheat Orzo and Grilled Vegetable Salad with Feta

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat orzo, cooked according to package directions
• 2 small zucchini
• 1 large red bell pepper
• Olive oil, for brushing vegetables
• Italian seasoning or other dried herb seasoning
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 2 T chopped fresh basil
• 2 T chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Directions

1. Heat the grill on high. Cook the orzo according to the package instructions, watching closely so it stays firm rather than mushy. Drain it, then set it aside to cool while you get the rest ready.
2. Slice the zucchini and red bell pepper lengthwise into fourths, then discard the pepper seeds and stem. Coat both sides of the vegetables with olive oil and season them with the dried herb mix.
3. Lower the grill heat to medium-high. Grill the vegetables until tender but still a little crisp, about 10-15 minutes, turning them a few times so they pick up marks on every side. Take them off the grill and let them cool.
4. Slice the green onions thinly and chop the fresh herbs.
5. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon and dried oregano into a dressing.
6. Once the vegetables are cool enough to work with, peel the skins from the red peppers. They should loosen without much fuss, though it is fine if a little skin remains. If you want to make the skins easier to remove, place the peppers in a bowl and cover it with cling-wrap to steam them.
7. Cut the zucchini and pepper into bite-sized pieces, then transfer them to a plastic bowl big enough for the whole salad.
8. Pour in about 1/3 of the dressing and stir until the grilled vegetables are coated.
9. Let the vegetables sit in the dressing while you drain the olives, halve them and crumble the feta.
10. Add the cooked orzo, green onions and herbs to the bowl with the vegetables. Pour in enough dressing to lightly moisten everything, keeping in mind that you may not use it all.
11. Fold in the olives and crumbled feta gently.
12. Serve the salad at room temperature or slightly chilled. It will keep well in the refrigerator for several days.