v:gourmet

I haven’t posted since 2016 since I’ve been consumed by good work at the Global Alliance for the Future of Food. Given climate change and other critical things we need to be thinking about as individuals, as countries, as a global community – like poverty and food security – I do a lot of reading and discussing about about what we eat and the implications it has on our planet and others around the world. There is one thing that is clear – we have to eat way less meat. I was eating this rice salad inspired by ERINBDM on Food52 while reading one such article and I thought “this is so delicious, and so easy, and so meat-free, and so full of the kinds of things we need to be eating, I MUST post it on v:gourmet.” So here is my one small step, hoping it will help inspire others in turn.

2 cups dry basmati rice

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup packed stemmed flat leaf parsley or dill or any other green herb on hand

¹/₄ cup fresh lemon juice

¹/₄ cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon maple sugar

³/₄ teaspoon ground cumin

¹/₂ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

¹/₂ cup olive oil

1 small red onion, finely chopped and rinsed in cold water

1 cup chopped and pitted kalamata olives

²/₃ cup currants

²/₃ cup toasted pine nuts

sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds

Prepare rice according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl.

Blend the garlic, salt, green herb(s), lemon juice, vinegar, curry powder, maple syrup, cumin, pepper, and olive oil.

Pour the dressing over the rice. Stir in onion, olives, currants, and pine nuts. Garnish with more herbs and toasted pumpkin seeds.