Sweet and Savory Wild Rice Salad
serves 8 to 10
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- Small handful fresh dill, finely chopped
- Small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 bunch chives, finely chopped
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, cleaned and diced
- 1/2 cup dried dates, chopped
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon powdered cumin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
PREPARATION
- Cook the rice: Heat 4 1/2 cups of salted water to boiling. Add the wild rice and cover. Turn the heat to low and cook the rice for about 45 minutes or until the grains are tender and puffed. Pour the rice into a large bowl. Heat two cups of salted water to boiling and add the brown rice. Cover and cook for 40 minutes. Let stand for five minutes, then fluff with a fork and toss with the wild rice.
- Toss the rice with the lime and orange zest, and the herbs. Toss with the cucumbers, red peppers, dates and almonds.
- Whisk together the olive oil and the lime and orange juice. Toss with the rice, then stir in the cumin powder. Taste and season if necessary with salt and pepper.
Broccoli Slaw
makes 5 cups
INGREDIENTS
- 2 heads broccoli
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons currants (plumped in boiling water, if desired)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 3/4 cup slivered almonds (or whole almonds that have been roughly chopped, like ours above)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground pepper
PREPARATION
- Shred the broccoli in a food processor, using the grater disk (the attachment with the smaller holes, not the one with long, thin blades). In a large bowl, combine the shredded broccoli, currants, red onion, and almonds.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed. Allow to sit for 30 minutes (or an hour in the fridge) so the flavors can mingle.
Olive and Parsley Potato Salad
serves 6 for dinner, with leftovers for lunch
INGREDIENTS
- 3 pounds new or fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
- 12 ounce jar pitted Kalamata olives
- 4 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Small handful flat parsley, finely chopped
PREPARATION
- Bring a 4-quart (or larger) pot of water to boil over high heat. Stir in at least 1 tablespoon salt. Add the potatoes and bring back to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer the potatoes for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool for a few minutes while you make the dressing.
- Cut the olives in half lengthwise (make sure to reserve their brine) and mix with the shallots in a large bowl. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and about 1/4 cup of the olive brine.
- Quickly cut the potatoes into quarters. They should still be hot, so work carefully and quickly! Toss the potato quarters with the shallots and olives. Pour the dressing over, and toss with the lemon zest, salt, pepper, and parsley until well-combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.
{ via The Kitchn, check out all of The Kitchn’s 15 Picnic Salads }
That wild rice salad looks really, really good!