Pasta Salad

Picnics and pasta salad just seem to go together. Do you have a favorite pasta salad recipe that you'd like to share? We'll publish your recipes Wednesday, June 9. The deadline for submitting recipes is Friday, May 28. We may ask you to prepare the recipe for our cameras. Please include your name, address and phone number on your recipe. Contact us in the following ways: Drop the recipe off at The Herald-Mail office, 100 Summit Ave., Hagerstown. Write in care of Pasta Salad, Lifestyle, The Herald-Mail Co., P.O. Box 439, Hagerstown, Md. 21741.

School lunch menus Washington County May 8-16 Elementary - Thursday, May 8 - Super taco with cheese, corn, applesauce and milk. Friday, May 9 - Pepperoni stromboli, broccoli, tossed salad, frozen yogurt and milk. Monday, May12 - cheeseburger, potato rounds, pineapple, no-bake cookie and milk Tuesday, May 13 - rib-i-cue on bun with barbecue sauce, baked beans, fruit turnover and milk Wednesday, May 14 - lasagna or spaghetti, creamy lettuce, school-made roll, frozen sherbet and milk Thursday, May 15 - open-faced turkey sandwich with gravy, whipped potatoes, gelatin with fruit and milk Friday, May 16 - crunchy fish on bun, pasta salad, apple crisp and milk High school - Thursday, May 8 - Super tacos with cheese, corn, applesauce and milk.

May 10 - May 16 The Washington County Commission on Aging offers noon lunches to anyone 60 years and older at seven locations - Hancock, Smithsburg, Keedysville, Williamsport and three in Hagerstown. A two-day reservation notice is required and a donation is asked per meal. For information, call 301-790-0275. Weekly menu Wednesday - Lasagna, spinach salad, pears, Texas toast and milk. Thursday - Baked chicken, baked beans, diced coleslaw, banana, whole-grain bread and milk.

I have to apologize for my picking profile of late. Don't start. I know someone out there is saying I should be apologizing for my profile, period. My shadow looks like the letter D. I've been scarce because I had been working hard for this weekend. I had been training and haven't had much time for football. I never knew how grueling it was to get ready for an event. It started innocently. I saw a flyer for this weekend's event and thought I would be a shoo-in to win. My training started lowly and worded it's way up to this point.

1/2 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing, to taste 1/3 cup grated, Parmesan cheese, to taste 1/4 cup chopped parsley 2 tablespoons milk 1 cup salami or ham strips 1 cup chopped or julienned carrots 1 cup chopped or julienned zucchini 3 ounces spaghetti, broken into thirds and cooked 1/4 cup sliced, pitted, ripe, green olives In a large bowl, mix the 1/2 cup of salad dressing, 1/3 cup of cheese, parsley and milk. Add the meat strips, carrots, zucchini, spaghetti and olives.

1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 8 ounces whole-wheat elbow macaroni (or other small shape) 1 cup grated carrots 1 cup thinly sliced celery 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced 1/2 cup chopped scallions To make the dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.

April 18 - April 24 The Washington County Commission on Aging offers noon lunches to anyone 60 years and older at seven locations - Hancock, Smithsburg, Keedysville, Williamsport and three in Hagerstown. A two-day reservation notice is required and a donation is asked per meal. For information, call 301-790-0275. Weekly menu Wednesday - Spaghetti with meat sauce and meatballs, garden salad, peaches, Texas toast and milk. Thursday - Egg-salad platter with cheese wedge, pasta salad with vegetables, onion-and-cucumber salad, banana and milk.

You're in the buffet line at a family picnic. You're watching your weight, so you want to make some smart food choices. Do you pick the fried chicken breast or hamburger? Potato salad or baked beans? Coleslaw or pasta salad? Actually, you're faced with a no-win situation. Most classic barbecue foods are probably not part of any discerning diet. Foods such as fried chicken, pork ribs, hot dogs and all the heavy-mayonnaise salads pack lots of calories and fat. Still, you want to enjoy your summer and all the summertime eating.

julieg@herald-mail.com Fourth of July means fireworks, family and food. When preparing the family picnic or a summer meal, consider treating the side salad like more than just a sidekick. "People get so caught up on the 'center of the plate item' that they neglect to remain focused on all aspects of a dining experience," Roccoco Executive Chef Stephen J. Brown Jr. wrote in an e-mail along with the recipe for the downtown Hagerstown eatery's potato salad. "I feel that the side dish, be it potato salad with a sandwich, or a vegetable, starch and sauce of a great entree is as important if not more so than the 'main item' itself," Brown said.