Meet our next Summer Pasta Series contributor! Kate is a Portland-based nutritionist with a master's degree in nutrition, the blogger and creator of Vegukate, recipe developer, and photographer. She believes in eating real, nourishing whole foods and is an advocate for eating intuitively, cooking with the seasons, and everything avocados. When Kate isn't creating content for her 9-5 job, she's hiking with her husband, blogging and creating recipes, going to spin classes, and exploring farmer's markets! Read on for our interview with the lovely Kate, and her incredible Summer Pasta Salad!
Interview with Claire Fontanetta
What do you like to keep out on your kitchen countertop or "kitchen shelfie"?The Beach Lodge has open shelving so that I have everything easily accessible for an impromptu meal; My duo of Brightland Extra Virgin Olive Oils and some favorite cookbooks are mixed in with dinnerware, (an excessive amount of) cups, and even succulents and coastal decor. Since it’s open to the rest of the living quarters, I want the kitchen shelves to reflect the vibe of the Lodge with equal zest.
What does living in a golden state meant to you?From the home front, a golden state for me is being able to look around the house and feel blessed...of what I’ve been able to create and the welcoming feeling that embraces me. From a personal standpoint, a golden state is being able to look at my reflection and feel content in how I’ve developed physically and mentally as a woman...to be able to accept my flaws as part of my character. I’m not really there all the time, but have definitely been able to smile back at myself more often and be ok with what I see. From a career standpoint, a golden state means working on the type of projects that challenge my creativity, feed my thirst for learning, and compensate me financially so that I can take care of my family. Since I’m starting a new career venture, this is the farthest from my reach; but I’m hopeful that a golden light will soon be within sight.
What independent magazine inspires you?I love the Liberty Journal. It celebrates women entrepreneurs and recognizes that they range in age, circumstance, and stage in their ambitions, and that older can learn from younger and vice versa. Gender and most of all age should not define who you are, what you’re capable of, and when you should start or stop your pursuit for professional and personal fulfillment. Liberty Journal proves these to be true by focusing on a diverse collective of women, anyone of whom a reader who is a female entrepreneur can relate to.
If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life (but receive all the nutritional benefits + look fabulous), what would each of you choose?Such a difficult question because I’m such a foodie! But it would have to be a Filipino comfort food from my childhood called Pinakbet. It’s a very rustic vegetable stew served with rice. It’s made up of tomatoes, bitter melon, Asian eggplant, long beans, calabasa and okra, and combined with crispy port belly. Add your garlic, onions, and fish sauce and you’ve got yourself a meal that uses all 5 tastes –sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami– and defines home-cooking for me.
What is your favorite way to unwind at home?Cozying up in a deep, comfy chair with a stack of magazines, a warm cup of coffee and some kind of dessert is my idea of heaven. Throw in music in the background and it’s perfection.
Golden Summer Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1½ cup orzo pasta)
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 cup red, orange, & yellow grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup finely sliced radicchio
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- 1½ cup basil leaves, torn into large pieces
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup of Brightland ALIVE olive oil
Instructions
- 1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- 2 Prepare the rest of the ingredients while the pasta is cooking.
- 3 Toss the rinsed pasta with the olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt. Fold in the tomatoes, radicchio, onion, basil and feta cheese.
- 4 Serve & Enjoy!
