THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 13, 1995 TAG: 9507120098
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: MORSELS
SOURCE: RUTH FANTASIA
LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
SUMMER SALADS don't have to mean green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, corn or potatoes. Rice-based salads are the newest rage for summer sides.
Rice can be combined with summer vegetables, such as peppers, peas and squash for colorful accompaniments. Or mix with seafood or poultry for a light main course. They're particularly pretty stuffed into hollowed bell peppers, tomatoes or even orange rinds.
Rice salads usually rely on vinaigrettes or citrus-juice emulsions for binding, instead of mayonnaise or cream products that can spoil quickly in summer's heat.
Vinegar-and-oil dressings usually are lower in calories and fat than their creamy counterparts, so you can fill the salad with fatty ingredients such as pine nuts or cheese if you choose.
Inside are two rice salad recipes. But don't let those be your only ones. An enormous variety of rices is available on supermarket shelves. Experiment with everything from the fragrant basmati rice of India to plain old converted rice, mixing in other ingredients to create your own rice salad. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
RICE COUNCIL
Experiment with several rices to find the flavors and textures that
suit your taste.
by CNB