We went to the dentist last week. We’re still getting over it. Yes, I am one more in the mass number of people who hate/loathe/are tempted to put off (read: skip) their routine cleanings. I’m still all nerves about the ordeal and I’ve had almost a week to recover. On top of the typical scraping and scratching and poking and vicious vibrations, the cracked lips, the jaw tension and tension induced migraine that all comes with the procedure of professional mouth cleaning, they also gave me the added bonus of a nasty cold and sore throat I was sure would turn into strep if I made one mistake (read: did not follow their instructions to floss 5,000 times a day and after each meal, including snacks, like gum.) You would think that a regular, normal, compassionate human being would not want a profession of making someone elses morning so cruelly dreadful. I mean, it’s kind of a risky profession when almost every human being would rather the alternative of letting their teeth fall out instead of having to worry about the blood bath their mouth is about to undergo.

Anyway, after they did whatever horrible thing they do inside mouth caverns, they told me in big, large, medical jargon that my mouth was a diseased black hole. I should note that I did not, and do not have any cavities. I’m just saying, 24 years without cavities deserves some recognition, like a party, or my picture on their wall of no-cavity-mouth fame, right? But no. I was accused of not wearing my retainer, which in my defense I never pretended like I wore it, and invasive pictures of my gums were then flashed before my eyes and I was told shame on you Meg. Shame. And I walked out feeling terrible about my life’s non-flossing ways and how I was told if I even wanted a remote chance of keeping the remaining teeth I had (read: that would be all of them) then I needed to be an avid, aggressive flosser and to never eat a single thing again to protect the careful scrape job just preformed on my pie hole. Oh yes, and I needed some fancy, vibrating tooth brush because my arms (which are super strong and built from lugging my 24-pound toddler baby around) were just too weak to use a manual, normal, grounded person’s toothbrush.

Ha! The nightmare doesn’t end. The whole reason I went through with the dentist ordeal is because my wisdom teeth are erupting (their word) into my mouth and there is no room and they are impacted and all this other appalling stuff on top of my black hole of a mouth. So in less than a month I will be going under to have them dig out these four teeth and then I will be living the high life on ice cream and ice cream and ice cream. With a side of ice cream. I take recovery seriously. Black holes still need the essentials.

But before I had such weighty issues to deal with and before my mouth was called out for being a hoax of a mouth I ate such a delightful summery salad that I just couldn’t wait until next summer to tell you about. We’ve been super excited to see the weather already cooling down in our east coast parts, which hopefully means no Indian summer, though I probably jinxed it. Despite the cooler days we still have the last few summer stragglers hanging out at the market and hopefully you do too so you can pull this off for your family as well. It was inspired by Pinterest, which I feel guilty sharing because it goes against my inner hipster spirit (ha ha ho ho). Actually I’m ashamed to admit it because most of America cooks with things like plastic cheese (Velveta) and cream of chemical soups, and I don’t. I love to cook with all the new fresh things at the market. The seasonal things. They always taste better and are less expensive then the packaged aisle so many buy from. Anyway, I find a lot of Pinterest recipes take on the former approach to cooking. Doctoring up cake mixes and the like, and well, that’s just not the way I cook. The salad I found, was no exception. A lot of dried herbs and bottled salad dressings and I knew that it could be so much better than just a bowl of pasta covered in bottled Greek vinaigrette.

It could be fresh and inspiring and in every way just as easy as pouring those on-hand time savers, yet better. I threw in a whole bunch of things: tomatoes, kalamata olives, a little red onion, cucumber, capers, fresh oregano and rosemary, lemon zest, and feta with some pasta and dressed it all simply in olive oil and red wine vinegar. It’s one of the last summery things you can and should get in before we’re deliciously buried under roasts and coq au vins and braises. And boy are we trying to find an excuse to get there early! Let this be your last huzzah to summer, the final adieu. You will be so happy your wicked summer of 2012, full of derechos, lobster manslaughter and black holes, ended so superbly.

Greek Pasta Salad

Serves 4

1/2 pound of short pasta, cooked
1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded and chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup
8 oz kalamata olives, halved
1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
Zest of 1 lemon, about 1 tablespoon
1/2 pound, about 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta
3 – 4 pepperocini peppers roughly chopped, optional
Kosher salt and crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 – 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar, based on preference, we like a lot over here

In a large bowl combine cooked pasta, cucumber, red onions, tomatoes, olives, tomatoes, capers, oregano, rosemary, lemon zest, and pepperocini peppers, if using. Mix together until well combined then gently fold in feta. Season with kosher salt and crushed red pepper.

In a small bowl combine olive oil and red wine vinegar, a pinch of kosher salt and red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine and pour over salad. Gently toss to combine, making sure everything is evenly coated. Place in refrigerator for several hours until chilled. Serve.