This is a cold rice salad that is just perfect for picnics. I make it every year for the Flowers and Fireworks celebration at the Botanical Garden during Fiesta week in San Antonio. It keeps very well and is excellent at room temperature (or hillside temperature, which is where we watch the fireworks and have a late night picnic with friends - it even stands up to dining by flashlight).

Aegean Salad

 

For the lime vinaigrette

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup fresh dill weed (or equivalent dried, but better with fresh)

For the salad

1 cup raw rice

1/2 cup Calamata olives, pitted

1/3 cup chopped scallions

1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced thin

1/3 cup fresh parsley sprigs, packed

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Fresh-ground pepper to taste

For the garnish

5 or 6 cup-shaped Boston or romaine lettuce leaves (optional)

 

Mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette and reserve.

Cook the rice in a very large pot of rapidly boiling salted water

for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender but slightly firm. Drain

and rinse. Combine the rice and half the lime

vinaigrette and let stand until the mixture reaches room

temperature. Mix in the remaining ingredients and the rest of the

vinaigrette and chill.

Before serving, arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter and fill

each with a portion of the salad, or serve the salad from a glass

bowl.

 

Yield: 6 servings

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