Northwoods Wild Rice Salad

Wild rice is one of the culinary treats that come from this land of lakes and I always pick some up while I’m here. The walnuts and the dates in this salad complement the hearty, earthy flavors of the rice with some crunch and sweet. I added some local smoked gouda for some richness as well. I cooked the rice in chicken broth to make it more flavorful, but you could cook it in either water or vegetable broth if you don’t have chicken broth on hand. I was thinking that dried cranberries could also be substituted nicely for dates and would add some more color and tang, but I do love the taste of the dates. This is really delicious with chicken or roast pork.

Northwoods Wild Rice Salad
8 ounces wild rice
7 cups of chicken (or vegetable) broth
8 ounces cooked aduki beans (or pinto)
8 green onions, white and light green parts sliced thinly
1.5 cups walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup chopped Medjool dates
2 cups shredded Smoked Gouda
Dressing:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fresh chopped parsley or thinly-sliced scallion greens for garnish
1. Bring the broth to simmer in a 4 qt saucepan. Add the wild rice and simmer for about 50 minutes, or until it is cooked through. Cook the beans at the same time, if necessary.
2. While rice (and beans) are cooking, make dressing by whipping all ingredients but garnish together in a bowl. The dressing should taste more salty than usual as the rice and beans need a good amount to bring the flavors out.
3. When rice and beans are cooked, toss with dates, scallions, and walnuts until mixed.
4. Add dressing and thoroughly incorporate.
5. Mix cheese in and taste. Add additional salt if necessary and garnish with scallions and/or parsley and serve warm.


Early Morning at Hansen Lake