Thanks for all of the great suggestions. They all look good. I have fava beans just beginning to blossom so they're not ready yet, but I'm definitely going to try that insalata di riso in the next month or so when I have a glut of them.
I highly recommend farro - there are many recipes on this site. It is as easy to cook as rice and can be refrigerated and then brought back to room temperature without getting hard like rice.
I'm in there with the red onions. But the current crop of red onions have been sitting the warehouse for months. They're very over powering. This will depend on your source of course. It's all seasonal with onions. The Southern hemisphere crop should be coming in soon tho.
I make a corn and black bean salad with grape tomatoes, diced red onion, garlic, a lot of parsley, a nice limey vinaigrette. The colors are beautiful, it holds well, and you can use frozen corn. Alternatively, to give it a new wrinkle, roll it up in a wrap with some sour cream, cilantro, and more lime.
Grain salads are perfect for guests--great idea! My standby is Mollie Katzen's jeweled rice salad, which can be found here. Note that step #3 should be done just before serving! You might also consider making a lentil salad ahead (just a simple salad with vinaigrette) or a bean salad as well.
The Tabbouli is a good suggestion. You could sub Quinioa for the wheat.
Using the tabbouli as a base. You could add drained black beans and corn, With a lime olive oil dressing and feta cheese. A very light touch of cumin really sets off the flavors for that dish.
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If you make the Radish and Pecan Grain Salad, do not add the pecans until immediately before serving. Otherwise, they will become mushy and have an unpleasant texture. Also, I strongly recommend lightly toasting the pecans before tossing them in, to improve (by deepening) their flavor. They'll be more fragrant, too. ;o)
Insalata di Riso:
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/spring-vegetable-rice-salad-insalata-di-riso-recipe/index.html
That link is the most authentic recipe I can find on the internet. (I once stayed in Italy for a couple of weeks and my friend's mother made it for our day on the beach.) It's really best with arborio rice and worth the extra effort. The vegetables can be modified according to taste. In mine, I usually put artichoke hearts, capers, diced ham, diced mozzarella cubes, and fresh peas. It keeps remarkably well in the fridge for 3 days, 6 days max.
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I'm in there with the red onions. But the current crop of red onions have been sitting the warehouse for months. They're very over powering. This will depend on your source of course. It's all seasonal with onions. The Southern hemisphere crop should be coming in soon tho.
http://www.molliekatzen.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipe=jeweled_rice_salad
Using the tabbouli as a base. You could add drained black beans and corn, With a lime olive oil dressing and feta cheese. A very light touch of cumin really sets off the flavors for that dish.
.
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/spring-vegetable-rice-salad-insalata-di-riso-recipe/index.html
That link is the most authentic recipe I can find on the internet. (I once stayed in Italy for a couple of weeks and my friend's mother made it for our day on the beach.) It's really best with arborio rice and worth the extra effort. The vegetables can be modified according to taste. In mine, I usually put artichoke hearts, capers, diced ham, diced mozzarella cubes, and fresh peas. It keeps remarkably well in the fridge for 3 days, 6 days max.