Recipes...Pasta Salad, Ranch Dressing and Pico De Gallo

I found this recipe and can't wait to try it soon.....I just need to plant my basil in my garden so that I have fresh basil to use, and I don't know wha t gouda cheese is.  I looked in our local grocery store and in GF, but can't find it.  If you know what it is or if I can find it around here, please let me know.  Thanks!

This will be a great recipe to help use up some of the thousands of cherry tomatoes I will soon be picking out of my garden!

I think it would go great with steak on the grill...Yum! 

Recipe: Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes, and Basil

taken from thepioneerwoman.com

Prep Time: 15 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 9 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 8

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Ingredients

• 12 ounces, weight Mostaccioli
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Whole Milk
• 4 Tablespoons White Vinegar
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Adobo Sauce From Chipotle Peppers (or One Minced Chipotle Pepper)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Ground Black Pepper To Taste
• 10 ounces, weight Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
• 1/2 pound Smoked Gouda Cheese, Cut Into Small Cubes
• 24 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta until done. Drain and rinse in cold water until no longer hot. Set aside.
Mix mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, salt, pepper, and adobo in a small bowl.
In a large bowl, stir together pasta, dressing, halved tomatoes, and cubed Gouda. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed, and even an extra teaspoons or two of vinegar if necessary. Stir in basil at the end. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
Divine.
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Here's a recipe for homemade ranch dressing.  I haven't made this either, but when I use up what I've got in the fridge, I plan on making some. 

Recipe: Homemade Ranch Dressing

taken from thepioneerwoman.com

Prep Time: 2 Hours  |  Cook Time:  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 8

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Ingredients

• 1 clove (to 2 Cloves) Garlic
• Salt To Taste
• 1/4 cup Italian Flat-leaf Parsley
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives
• 1 cup (Real) Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• Buttermilk (as Needed To Desired Consistency)
• White Vinegar (optional, To Taste)
• Worcestershire Sauce, To Taste (optional)
• Fresh Dill (optional, To Taste)
• Cayenne Pepper (optional, To Taste)
• Paprika (optional, To Taste)
• Fresh Oregano (optional, To Taste)
• Tabasco (optional, To Taste)

Preparation Instructions

Mince the garlic with a knife and then sprinkle about an 1/8 to ¼ teaspoons of salt on it and mash it into a paste with a fork. Chop the parsley, chives and any of the optional herbs very finely and add to the garlic.

In a bowl combine all ingredients, adding other optional ingredients as you wish, tasting frequently and adjusting seasonings as needed. Chill for a couple of hours before serving, thin with milk or buttermilk if desired.

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Here's a recipe for pico de gallo.  I also have not made this recipe...I'm waiting for fresh produce from my garden...good excuse, I know, but nothing's better than fresh tomatoes!

Pico De Gallo

taken from thepioneerwoman.com

Ingredients

• 5 whole Plum (roma) Tomatoes (I didn't plant any of these, so I'll just use regular tomatoes)
• 1/2 whole Large (or 1 Small) Onion
• 3 whole Jalapeno Peppers
• Cilantro
• Lime Juice
• Salt To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Chop jalapenos, tomatoes and onions into a very small dice. (Leave seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico). Adjust amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature. Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Just remove and discard the long leafless stems before chopping. No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely. Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl and give it a good stir.

Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again.

I am so excited to try all of these recipes...Enjoy!  And, if you didn't notice, I got all the recipes from my new favorite website... thepioneerwoman.com.  Check it out! She's got tons of great, easy-to-make, normal recipes!