Murray and Otis greeted me at Jeffry Culbreth’s front door. “They’re in charge of security,” she told me when she welcomed me in and their barking ceased. “They’re brothers and they never leave each other’s side.” Jeffry led the way to her loft-like kitchen and the two brothers scampered behind us.

The vegetables to go in the orzo salad were laid out on her speckled marble countertop. She chopped and minced as we talked. “People usually assume orzo’s a form of rice, so they hunt for it on the rice isle in the supermarket and can’t find it. Really, it’s pasta. I never paid much attention to orzo until I lived in New York City and ate it a lot in restaurants there.”

Jeffry moved to New York City in 1976. She married, raised a daughter and a son, and enjoyed a successful television career as Head Celebrity Booker on the Today Show, the Rosie O’Donnell Show and the Martha Stewart Show. She has five sisters and her family ties to the Eastern Shore were strong enough to lead her back here recently. Sometimes, she enjoys cooking with her sisters and her mother in one kitchen. They’ll each prepare a separate dish and then divide all the food between them to take home, freeze, and eat later.

“I’m not a recipe girl,” Jeffry says. “I love to improvise. The secret of this orzo salad is the balsamic vinegar. I taste the salad right away and often add a bit more vinegar, until there’s just enough of a “bite” to heighten the flavor of the dish.”

Orzo Salad

Serves four. Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

This salad can be eaten immediately or it’s even better if you let it sit about an hour in the refrigerator. Vary the vegetables to your taste and depending on the season. Add cooked chicken or grilled shrimp if you like.

Make dressing first. 1 large garlic clove, finely minced, 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ cup good olive oil, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Put all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake well. Set aside.

Wash and chop all vegetables to about the same size:

½ large bell pepper (Jeffry uses red for color and sweetness).

2 tablespoons minced parsley

½ cup black olives cut in half

3 - 4 scallions

½ cup cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 bunch of asparagus, tops only

salt and pepper to taste

¾ cup feta cheese

Boil 1 cup orzo in about 2 quarts of salted water. Stir occasionally so it won’t clump. Cook approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Do not overcook.

Remove orzo from boiling water with a slotted spoon, place in a colander and run under cold water to stop cooking process. Put cooled orzo in a large bowl.

In the same salted water used for the orzo, add the asparagus tips and cook approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Do not overcook.

Add asparagus and chopped vegetables to the orzo.

Shake dressing again and pour over vegetables and orzo. Add feta and toss gently until combined. Add salt and pepper if needed. Serve on Bibb lettuce with crackers or pita chips.

Keeps 2-3 days in refrigerator.