Summer Pasta Salad

When summer draws to a close, thoughts of missing all the good stuff a garden brings makes me want to take advantage of it while I can.

Even though the garden right now looks like a tangled riot of weeds and just a regular old mess...it's still got goodies to glean.

(Our pumpkins have OVERTAKEN our whole garden with all the rain we've had in the last month!)

Here is a good recipe to use for a great salad for lunch or dinner, I loved it and wanted to share.  It is easily adaptable to whatever you have coming in the garden right now.


Smoked Ham & Veggie Salad

1 pound box of bow-tie pasta
1-2 C. smoked ham, diced
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1 C. frozen peas
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1-2 C. grape tomatoes or a regular tomato seeded and chopped
1 C. buttermilk dressing
*I added about 1/4 C. bacon bits 

Keeps up to three days in the fridge, and tastes better with a little chillin'! 

ENJOY!