Extraordinary Rice Salad

There is a wonderful restaurant in San Diego called Extraordinary Desserts that lives up to its name, serving  truly scrumptious pastries.  This much requested recipe is for the rice salad they serve with their sandwiches, and owner Karen Kranse said she would be honored to share it with Heron Earth.

2 cups brown rice

1/2 pecans, coarsely chopped ( I toast them )

1 cup flat leaf Italian parsley, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups hearts of palm, cut into 1/8 inch slices

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

1 Tb. grated lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

In a medium pot, combine brown rice with 4 cups cold water.  Bring to a boil and then cover.  Reduce heat and let rice simmer 25 minutes.  Remove rice from heat and let stand 10 minutes.  Transfer rice to a large bowl to cool.

Once cooled, combine rice with remaining ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Note: One  package of frozen brown rice from Trader Joe’s cooks in 3 minutes in the microwave and provides the 2 cups perfect for the recipe. I prefer to use only a cup of cranberries and a bit less lemon juice, and  serve this with grilled steak in the summer. Great dish to share, as it travels easily.