Wild rice salad

This is a delicious salad that goes with many meals.

1 c wild rice (see note below)
1/2 c dried currants, cranberreues, or other fruit
1/2 c chopped pecans
4 scallions
2 TB olive oil
1 TB lemon juice
2 TB orange juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Cook the rice according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Slice the scallions, the white and part of the green, into thin rounds. Plump the dried fruit in hot water for 10 minutes or so, then drain. Toast the pecans in a small nonstick pan over medium heat, shaking often, for 5 minutes or so. Allow to cool. Mix all ingredients and add S&P to taste.

Note: What we call wild rice is not related to rice at all, but is the seed of the grass Zizania palustris. You’ll see two kinds for sale. They come from the same plant but are treated differently. The superior (and more expensive) product is “wild” wild rice, harvested typically by hand and allowed to dry naturally; the grains are brown in color. Cultivated wild rice is harvested mechanically and dried using artificial heat; the grains are almost black.

Grilled eggplant and tomato salad

This is a fairly substantial salad that goes well with all sorts of things. Because it improves on sitting, it’s a good choice for a picnic.

1 medium to large eggplant
Tomatoes
Salt, pepper, olive oil (this is a place to use really good oil)
1 large clove garlic put thru a press
1/4c diced fresh basil

Peel the eggplant and cut into 3/4 inch slices. Toss with olive oil to coat. Grill on a hot charcoal fire until browned on both sides and just tender, or broil in the oven. Remove and cool, then cut into 3/4 inch pieces.

Dice your lovely, ripe, delicious, local field tomatoes into 3/4 inch pieces – you want about as much tomato as you have eggplant. Toss with the eggplant, olive oil (perhaps 1/3c), garlic, basil, salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for at least an hour before serving. It’s better served at room temperature, not ice-box cold.