30 August 2007

Wild Rice Salad with Feta


















Well off to university we go. It is the long weekend and not looking forward to driving the main highways..but it will be an adventure. It will be different not having my daughter within earshot, but I've given her wings and now she has to fly..the coop that is. We have been lucky to have her for an extra two years because she attended university here. Now they don't offer what she needs here, so, time to expand the horizons. When we drive to the coast I always pack a picnic lunch for us. This time it was Chicken Lollipops and one of our favourite picnic or anytime salads. It is not a recipe that would suffer from sitting around too long. We always have mini cheesecakes as well with strawberries and whipped cream. Just a little extra treat for driving the open road.



Contrary to what many people believe, wild rice is not rice at all but an aquatic grass found mostly in the Great Lakes of Canada and the Northern States. Not to say it does not grow elsewhere as well. Much of it sold today is not even wild, but cultivated.

Several Native cultures consider wild rice (known as manoomin to be a sacred component to their culture. The rice is harvested by hand, with two people sitting in a canoe, with one knocking rice into the canoe with a pole while the other paddles slowly.

I had read that zizania is the Greek term sometimes used to describe the plant otherwise known as darnel or tares.

Wild rice is used in one of my favourite rice salads with the addition of a variety vegetables and feta cheese.

The photo is taken on the Sunshine Coast north of Gibsons near Sechelt in British Columbia.

**Wild Rice Salad with Feta**

3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup wild rice
1/2 cup white rice
3 medium asparagus, chopped
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/3 cup carrot, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sweet red or green pepper, chopped

Dressing:

1/2 teaspoon garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons or more to taste crumbled feta cheese
3/4 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. In saucepan, bring stock to boil; add wild rice and white rice and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes or just until tender. Drain, rinse with cold water and place in serving bowl.

2. Blanch asparagus and broccoli in boiling water until crisp. Drain and rinse with cold water. Add to bowl along with celery, carrot, green onions and red or green pepper; mix well.
Dressing: In small bowl, whisk together garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, cheese, oregano and oil until well combined. Pour over rice mixture and mix well.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Deliscioso!!!!

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.
Best Blogger Tips

19 comments:

  1. I absolutely love wild rice! It is a tradition to have at thanksgiving in our family. Never had it in a salad though, sounds great with feta.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well good luck with your daughter. My little brother started at SFU a few days ago. I am sure she will have a blast and maybe even learn a thing or two.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful site, Valli! Wonderful photos, delicious recipes, and fun :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am so not looking forward to the day my boys go off to Uni - Good luck to your daughter, Valli.
    I love feta and will be saving this recipe - sounds delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Actually, my kids love wild rice. They call it "black rice", this salad sounds really good. Never would have thought of this! Have a great long weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rice is nice!
    Have a safe trip and I am loving your photos. Makes me want to travel again!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Interesting - I didn't know that wild rice wasn't really "rice". As for your daughter, I found that it was only after I left the "coop" that I appreciated my parents so much more.

    p/s: I have an award for you. :-) More details on my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  8. That's my kind of salad. I made a variation of this not long ago with toasted pine nuts in. I will have to give yours a go.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have not had wild rice all that much. I will have to try it again. This salad sounds pretty tasty.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The wild rice sounds good, but the mini cheesecakes do it for me!

    Hope you are not too sad when you get home!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sounds wonderful! I am beginning to think feta just goes with everything!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love road trips, especially when you've packed something both simple and special in the picnic hamper. You've created a lovely and important memory for both you and your daughter to take forward as she moves farther from the nest.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Valli, I was looking through some of the comments on my blog and noticed that you took the time to drop by and visit - thank you very much. I hope that you'll come back again when you have some time.

    ReplyDelete
  14. You can't go wrong with wild rice-
    Sounds delicious....
    I love combining wild rice with toasted pecans or pine nuts.

    ReplyDelete
  15. MMM I have a huge bag of wild rice in my pantry, and the mother loves feta... must see if I can make this for her. I'll probably use brown rice and veg stock though, since that seems to be what we have on hand.


    By the way, I tagged you for a meme over at my blog. Hope that's ok!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks for all your comments and well wishes guys.My daughter got settled very easily into university. They make it so easy for you and even take all your belongings up to your room. A piece of cake. We hit IKEA for 5 hours as well so she is all set and very orgnaized!!!
    Thanks also for the meme Sarah, when my brain is active again I will tackle it for sure and post about it. The weekend has been very emotional and a bit exhausting.

    ReplyDelete
  17. This does sound delicious! I love everything you've used in this and can't wait to try it soon.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I always wanted to try rice salad... this one sounds like a very good recipe, especially that it has feta, which I love.

    p.s. I'm checking your blog quite often as well, I added you to my Technorati favourites so I see when you post something new.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi,

    I always wanted to try some rice salad and this recipe sounds perfect, especially that it has feta which I love!! :)

    Greetings, Margot

    p.s. I'm also checking your blog quite often, I added your blog to my Technorati, so I see when you post something new...

    ReplyDelete

Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

This blog uses comment moderation therefore SPAMMERS, SELF-PROMOTERS and ADVERTISERS will be deleted.