I know, summer hasn’t technically started yet. But when it’s 40°C everyday and it’s so humid that you’ve given up doing your hair, you kind of feel like we should at least be halfway through it. Also, I found beautiful organic corn at Spinneys the other day and to me, it is the ultimate late summer food. Boiled and freshly cut off the cob, it’s the star of this colorful rice salad.
Note #1 : Because corn is very often genetically modified, I try to get it organic, and if possible, from Australia, where most fresh fruits and vegetables are generally not genetically modified.
Note #2 : If you are like the majority of population and only eat corn out of a can, please refrain from doing so for this recipe. The fresh stuff makes a world of difference. It’s also a lot more visually appealing. Oh, and fresh corn doesn’t turn a yellowish grey the next day. Enough said?
Note #3 : You can replace the red and wild rice by 1 1/4 cup of this one that you can find at Spinneys and Waitrose
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of red Camargue rice, uncooked (you could also use brown rice)
- 1/4 cup of wild rice
- 6 small courgettes (or 1 1/2 big zucchini) – I like to use the local light green courgettes we often see in the region
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Herbes de Provence (alternatively, use thyme)
- 2 heads of corn, boiled in salted water
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
- a few basil leaves, slivered
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt, pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 300 F
- Cook both the red and wild rice as per instructions. Wild rice usually take a little bit longer. Once they are done, mix them together and let them cool in a large bowl.
- While the rice is cooking, cut the tips of the courgettes and slice them lengthwise into 8 sticks each (each stick is about the size of a pinkie finger). Place them on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt, pepper and herbes de Provence.
- Let them roast for 10 minutes, turn them and leave them for another 5.
- Once cooled, dice the grilled courgettes. The reason I don’t dice them before putting them in the oven is because I want them to retain a little bit of moisture.
- Mix the courgettes, corn, bell pepper, cilantro and basil into the rice bowl.
- Prepare the vinaigrette by whisking the lemon juice into the oil with salt and pepper.
- Toss the vinaigrette into the rice salad to coat everything evenly. Let it rest for at least an hour and for up to 24 hours.
