Tortellini Farmer's Market Salad

The last few days have been a little hectic. Not much time for blogging, but I've had some good food. Fresh mozarella/tomato/basil sandwiches, veggie tacos, veggie burgers, and veggie nachos. It's been a veggie fest! Here is a picture of some veggie nachos from my job. You see on there some cheesy goodness, black beans, sauteed vegetables, and shredded lettuce topped with Cholula.

I haven't had much time to go shopping, so I tried to use the rest of my produce from the farmer's market. During the summer, my family always made a simple but delicious green bean salad with tomato, cucumber, red onion and good seasons italian dressing. It's best to eat during the summer, when the tomatoes and cucumbers are fresh from the garden and the green beans are also fresh. I was lacking in tomatoes yesterday, so I made this variation:
-Fresh green beans, as many as you like. I used about 4 handfuls.
-4 or 5 radishes, sliced
-1 large cucumber, or 2 curby pickling cucumbers, sliced
-A quarter of a red onion, or half of a small one, sliced thin.
-Tortellini, about half a box. I used Giovanni Rana artichoke.
-Spoonful of chopped olives, I used trader joes olive tapenade spread.
-Two pinches of oregano
-Freshly ground pepper
-Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar or balsamic dressing

Cook the green beans until just tender. You don't want them crispy, but you don't want them mushy. Then cook the tortellini in the same water. While the tortellini and beans are cooling a bit, chop the remaining vegetables. Dress the salad while it is still warm. It will absorb the flavor better. I like to use Paul Newman's Light Balsamic. It tastes delicious and Paul Newman's is one of the few types of dressings you can get in most supermarkets that doesn't have corn syrup, gelatin, or MSG. Many people fail to read the ingredients in their salad dressings and you are not doing yourself any good by making a delicious and healthy salad, and then pouring corn syrup all over it.

By the way, Giovanni Rana products are really great. They have so much flavor. The mushroom raviolis are my favorite.