Wild Rice and Spinach Salad

Ingredients (serves 16)

  • 1 1/2 cups wild rice [uncooked]
  • 2 1/2 cups brown rice [uncooked]
  • 1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
  • 2 cups olive oil
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 3 Tablespoons dried marjoram
  • 3 Tablespoons dried basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 Tablespoons dry mustard
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 1 bunch scallions
  • 1/2 cup cranberries
  • 4 cups baby spinach

Directions

  1. Prepare wild rice and brown rice separately, since they have different cooking times. Cook brown rice with a 1 : 2 rice to water ratio. Cook wild rice with as much water as you like, planning to drain off the water when the rice is cooked [try to cook rice so that it is tender, but with a little bit of pull – and not so well done that the kernel splits].
  2. Prepare the dressing – chop garlic finely and mix in spices, salt & pepper to taste, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Pour dressing over the rice when at room temperature or slightly cooled. The salad can keep at this stage overnight – especially to let the flavors meld.
  3. Then add the rest of the ingredients – pecans, scallions chopped into diagonal slices, cranberries, and spinach into a wide chiffonade. Mix well and serve at room temperature.