Our beautiful Montana summer is finally here and with that comes smiling faces, people in cheery moods and good old warm weather fun.

It’s funny because my husband, Andy, and I were out shopping one evening around dinnertime last week, and each store we went to was eerily quiet and empty. Usually at that time of day, you have to compete with after-work crowds and long lines, but not on this day.

We kept joking that there must be some major emergency that everybody in town knew about that we were not privy to. But once we put some thought into it we realized most people were probably out enjoying the gorgeous day instead of running errands, like us.

I can’t tell you how nice it has been in the Petroski household since the weather has warmed. The kids are happy to play outside, and we finally planted our vegetable garden hoping that the warm weather stays long enough to make the work from that somewhat fruitful.

As for me, I couldn’t wait for the nice weather to come. I am super pregnant and ready to pop any day now, and the cold, rainy weather was giving me a bit of the blues, besides the fact that it was interfering with my nesting instincts. I couldn’t wait to open up all the windows and let the breeze (and ironically, more dust) flow through my house. There is just something about doing that that makes it my official way of saying goodbye to the winter cold and hello to the warmth of spring — or should I say summer since spring forgot to show up this year.

Another way most of us enjoy summertime fun is with friends and family and, of course, good food. This week’s recipe is for pasta salad, but with a nice and fresh Mediterranean twist. The best thing about this salad is it is warm-weather friendly because it isn’t drowned in a bath of mayonnaise. I like mayonnaise, but not when it’s been sitting in the heat for any length of time.

So next time you’re in need of a nice side dish for a summer meal or you are asked to bring a salad to a friendly get-together, try this one. I’m sure everybody will be pleasantly surprised and happy you chose to “hold the mayo.” Enjoy!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

1 pound orzo pasta — cooked according to package directions then rinsed well with cold water

¼ cup minced red onion

1 cucumber — peeled, quartered and sliced into chunks

1 6-ounce can whole black olives — roughly chopped

2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes (in oil) — chopped or you can chop up 1 fresh tomato

1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts in water, drained and roughly chopped

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe to follow)

Salt and fresh ground pepper (if necessary)

Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl, drizzle with vinaigrette and toss until well coated; season with salt and fresh ground black pepper if needed. Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cook’s note: This recipe makes a large quantity, which is great for entertaining. However, to cut back, only prepare ½ pound of the orzo pasta.

Don’t have or can’t find orzo pasta? Go ahead and use bow tie, penne or rotini pasta.

If serving immediately, add a fresh, chopped up avocado, it makes a nice addition to this salad.

Lemon Vinaigrette

Juice of 1 lemon (approximately ¼ cup)

1 small garlic glove - cracked and peeled

2 tablespoons chopped red onion or shallot

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon honey or granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt and pepper for seasoning

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients except olive oil in a blender and blend until well combined. While blending, remove clear insert from blender top and slowly add the olive oil. Continue blending for 1 minute or until well emulsified. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.