Recipe: Summer Stone Fruit Crumble

Wild Rice and Broccoli Salad

Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a starter.

I eat this salad as a main dish in the fall and winter, when broccoli is one of the easiest green vegetables to get hold of and wild rice fits the season. Sometimes I serve it as an opener for Thanksgiving dinner. In many stores broccoli crowns -- the tops -- are sold, as well as whole bunches.You won't be losing money if you buy the more expensive crowns. The broccoli florets absorb the dressing in the most scrumptious way, so that with each bite you get a rush of its tart, nutty essence. The red pepper is optional. It adds nice color and crunch, but if you don't want to chop one more thing the salad will be colorful enough without it. This salad is good warm or cold.

3	cups water or stock (chicken or vegetable)

1	cup wild rice, rinsed

3/4	teaspoon salt (if using water or unsalted stock; 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon for salted stock) , plus more for the dressing

1	pound broccoli crowns, broken into florets

1/3	cup broken walnut pieces or pecans

1/3	cup chopped fresh parsley, or a mixture of parsley and other fresh herbs such as thyme, sage, tarragon, chives

1	small red bell pepper, diced (optional)

2	tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1	tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

1	garlic clove, minced or put through a press

1/3	cup plain nonfat yogurt or low-fat buttermilk

3	tablespoons walnut oil

	freshly ground pepper

1. Bring the water or stock to a boil and add the salt and rice. When the water comes back to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Spoon out a few grains and rinse them with cold water. They should be splitting, and should be tender to the bite, with no hardness in the shells. Drain off any remaining liquid.

2. While the rice is cooking, steam the broccoli until just tender, about 5 minutes. Refresh with cold water (transfer to a colander and run it under cold water, or transfer to a bowl of ice-water and drain).

3. Combine the wild rice, broccoli, nuts, chopped herbs, and optional red pepper in a salad bowl. Mix together the lemon juice, vinegar and garlic. Add salt to taste. Stir in the yogurt or buttermilk and the walnut oil, and add freshly ground pepper. Combine well and taste. Adjust salt. Toss with the salad and serve.

Advance preparation: You can prepare everything hours or even a day in advance, but don't toss the broccoli with the rice and dressing too far ahead of time or the green color will fade. It can hold with the dressing for about an hour.

Recipe from: Light Basics Cookbook