Tag Archives: picnic

Wild Rice Salad with Apricot & Cranberry

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photo 2-29Happy weekend y’all! I hope you had a great week! Last weekend Park City mountain resort closed, it was a beautiful weekend, 60 degrees and sunny! Just when I thought spring had arrived… I woke up Tuesday morning to this…photo-573More snow! I couldn’t believe it! But that’s how it goes in the mountains! Sadly, I’m sure it won’t be the last time this spring we see snow. Regardless of what the weather does, I am READY for spring. photo 2-28This delicious wild rice salad is one of my favorite spring/summer salads. It’s super easy to make and its best when it’s served cold, so making it the day before is a snap and saves you time! Its great for picnics, BBQs or anytime.

The combination of the sweet cranberries, apricots and currents with the wild rice and orange dressing is perfection! It will become one of your favorite summer staples. photo 1-29

Wild Rice Salad with Apricot & Cranberry with Orange Dressing (click for printer friendly version)
Ingredients: (Serves 6-8)

  • 2 1/2 Cups Wild Rice
  • 5 Cups of water
  • 1 Cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 Cup dried cranberries
  • 1 Cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 1/2 Cup currents
  • 1 Cup scallions, sliced
  • 1/2 Cup parsley, chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
  • 3/4 Cup pine nuts, toasted

Orange Dressing

  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons grated orange peel
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a medium pot, bring water and broth to a boil, add the rice and bring it to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer until the rice is tender but still firm- about 40-45 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.
  3. Drain the rice, transfer to a bowl and allow it to cool.
  4. Mix the remaining ingredients with the rice, drizzle with orange dressing and gently toss to combine.
  5. Serve over spinach or on its own as a side dish.

 

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Caesar Potato Salad with Sugar Snap Peas

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photo-307Why do I always feel like I need a weekend to recover from my weekend? Busy weekends make for exhausting Mondays! We just took an amazing long weekend in Napa! It was so much fun and we drank so much wine… we took advantage of the fact that you can start wine tasting at 10am! I can’t wait to share some of my favorite wineries and pictures with you! photo-311 A few of the wineries were pulling in their first grapes for harvest while we were there. Did you know the wineries pick all the grapes by hand? Hard work! I will have an exciting wine Wednesday for you this week! Check out some our amazing views in St Helena! photo-309This recipe for Caesar potato salad with sugar snap peas is one of my favorite ‘old school’ recipes from a June 2009 Bon Appetit It’s a classic! I am not a huge fan of heavy mayonnaise based potato salads in the summer (or ever) especially when its hot! This is a wonderful light option, with the crispy crunch from the sugar snap peas and radish its a fantastic side with steak, burgers, chicken- It will become your new BBQ staple! photo-306I also wanted an excuse to use my new mandolin- It makes slicing and cutting so simple! You can use a sharp knife or the side of a cheese grater to slice the radishes but a mandolin makes it a breeze! photo-308 Caesar Potato Salad with Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 pounds unpeeled assorted fingerling potatoes or baby potatoes (such as white-skinned, red skinned and purple), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 8 ounces trimmed sugar snap peas
  • 1 bunch radishes, trimmed, sliced
  • 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Steam potatoes on steamer rack set in large pot over boiling water until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and steam until peas are crisp-tender and potatoes are just fork tender, about 1 minute longer. Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Cool slightly. Add radishes and onion. (I usually steam the peas separately so I can run them under cold water after steaming. This stops the peas from over cooking and keeps them bright green and crisp- either method works!)
  2. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and garlic together in a small bowl. Whisk in Parmesan. Season with salt and lots of pepper.
  3. Add dressing to potato mixture; toss to coat.
  4. Season with more salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Recipe from Bon Appatit, June 2009