Forbidden Rice Salad
By Julie Cader
The vibrant colors of black rice and vegetables, tossed with a lemon-enhanced dressing, make this forbidden rice salad a wonderful way to celebrate summer, especially when the boss gives you an armful of yummy lemon cucumbers, fresh from his garden!
Ingredients
Rice
1 cup Heirloom Black California Rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon butter
Vegetables
1½ cups lemon cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup radishes, thinly sliced
½ cup chopped celery
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
1 cup fresh peas, or frozen, thawed
½ cup loosely torn fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Salad Dressing
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 Tablespoons honey
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
Rinse rice in cold water and drain. In a large saucepan, combine rice with stock
and butter. Bring to a boil, stir again to blend, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 35 minutes. Let rice completely cool after cooking.
Prepare vegetables and herbs and set aside.
Prepare salad dressing, blending well, and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, toss prepared vegetables and herbs with the salad dressing. Let flavors mingle for a few minutes while the rice cools.
Toss the cooled rice with the marinated vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve at room temperature or chill salad until ready to serve.
Julie is Finance & Administration Manager for the California Rice Commission, and a big proponent of trying new recipes- especially if they feature California rice.
