Fusili, Beets, and Greek Mizithra Cheese

Oh, so long ago, we made this dish in honor of my father's wisteria tree. Let me tell you the story.

My father loves to garden. I attribute this to a childhood in the world's largest, most congested city. But, as my husband says, he is unorthodox in his gardening. His practice of gardening vacillates between benign neglect and overbearing force. Many, many years ago, my father planted a wisteria tree (vine.) His dream is a flower garden populated with fragrant blossoms. And, then rather than regular pruning, he spent a good many season wrapping those spindly vines upon each other. After a few years, the shrub was magnificent and had the appearance of a green soft serve cone. Finally, he listened to reason and pruned. Oh, did he prune. The next year, our friend, ms. wisteria chose to send out her usual profusion of greenery. And, so, on our way out the door one spring, he proclaimed--I am chopping that wistera down. When we returned home, a sole purple blossom had opened and was basking in the sunlight. The next year my husband gave that little lady many a hard prune and again the next year one lovely string of purple petals. And, then this year, after many years of incessant pruning (and verbal cajoling), we had innumerable blossoms. Ahh, sweet success.

I wanted to make a dish in honor of our friend and my dad. So, I paired fusili with some greek yoghurt, roasted beets and mizithra cheese. Yum. The photos don't do the dish justice.