hot weather food: Macaroni and Salmon Salad

I have a real preoccupation with this subject - what to serve for dinner when it's hot.  And we're already having some of that, so yesterday I made a favorite around here.

I'm pretty sure I got this from an old Gourmet magazine, but it's not on their website - epicurious.com. I suppose their archives only go so far back. But I am almost positive it came from them.

You can tell it's an older recipe by the title - who uses the term "macaroni salad" anymore?  Except I did see it again very recently, but it was a retro thing.

Anyway, if you don't mind canned salmon, and you like dill - try this unusual mixture. (I guess I can print it here, because it doesn't appear anywhere else, and how could Gourmet take issue with somebody who loved their magazine so much?  If they were still around to take issue with anybody. Or to print any issues, for that matter!)

I've altered it a bit, which I'll explain later.

                                 Macaroni and Salmon Salad
                                                                  

2 c. elbow macaroni, or ditalini
1 1/2 c. frozen peas
1 c. chopped celery
1 large can salmon, drained, and skin and bones removed
3/4 c. mayonnaise
3 T. lemon juice
1 T. dried dill weed

Cook your pasta as usual, and about two minutes before it's done, add the peas, and finish them together.

Drain, run a bit of cold water over them to cool them off, and put them into the fridge to chill for a while, after adding a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking. Also, put your can of salmon in the fridge.

Later, when it's nearing dinner time, chop your celery and add it along with the (flaked) salmon. (And when you open the can, turn around and you'll see two cats named Henry and Dolly right behind you. But when you try to take their picture they look the other way and try to appear nonchalant. And you find you're getting salmon all over your camera for nothing.)

Now, mix the mayo with the lemon and dill, and add it to the other. You've just made a very elegant and unusual pasta salad, which is especially nice served with sliced tomatoes.

I doubled the original recipe here -  it makes a good amount, and I tripled the dressing ingredients  -   it wasn't moist enough in my view. It also called for some scallions, which I almost never put in. But you may.