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Brown Rice Salad with Fresh and Dried Apricots
A recipe by Marie Simmons

Intensely flavored fresh apricots from California are available midsummer for a very short time. To get my fill I eat them out of hand, cut them up and stir them into yogurt, bake at least one apricot tart, make some jam and then one day, feeling quite desperate because the season was waning and my appetite was not, I devised this salad. It was such a great success that I adapted it slightly for peach season by substituting dried and fresh peaches for the apricots. From Rice: The Amazing Grain.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked short-grain brown rice
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped natural (unblanched) whole almonds
  • 3 Applestablespoons flavorless vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Pinch of salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup diced (about 1/4 inch) dried apricots
  • 1/2 cup trimmed and thinly sliced scallions (about 1 bunch)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped tender pale-green celery leaves
  • 2 cups pitted and cut up (about 1/2-inch pieces) fresh apricots (about 1 pound)

Steps

 

1. Cook the rice according to package directions. Let stand, uncovered, until cooled before using.

2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast until golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

3. Combine the oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and a grinding of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the cooled rice, dried apricots, scallions, celery, and celery leaves. Toss to coat.

4. Just before serving add the fresh apricots. Gently toss to blend. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Copyright © 1996 by Marie Simmons in Rice: The Amazing Grain. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1991, Henry Holt and Company, New York. ISBN 0-80501-371-7. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved