Return of the Native Son

Wild Rice & Tomato Salad

Wild rice is an aquatic plant that’s native to North America. Along with maize (a.k.a. corn), wild rice is our claim to fame in the cereal world. (“Cereal” meaning any type of edible grasses cultivated for their seeds; these grains are named after Ceres, the Roman goddess of the harvest.) Like brown rice–another whole grain–wild rice takes much longer to cook than its refined white counterpart, and its taste is much more pronounced and nutty.

Don’t let the 40-minute cooking time dissuade you from preparing wild rice, however–since it’s a whole grain, it has a hearty nutritional profile to complement its hearty flavor. And it’s very easy to turn into a main course or serve as a simple-yet-satisfying side dish. For this salad, all I did was mix some cooked wild rice with chopped tomatoes, sea salt, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The other half of the cooked rice became a pilaf of sorts the next evening when I sauteéd it with some onions, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, and snap peas.  Talk about an “exotic” dinner that’s close to home!  For something a little different, try substituting wild rice in your next pilaf or stir-fry.

Enjoy!

Tags: salad, whole grains, wild rice