vegan mofo :: wild rice salad with radishes, scallions and mint

Organic CSA share radishes.

I love everything about radishes – from their insouciant heat and candy-cane colors to their sturdy crunch and voluptuous figures. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to find these flaming bulbs of happiness nestled at the bottom of my CSA share bag. As always, my share included a bevy of other produce delights, including a fragrant bunch of mint and a battalion of scallions. For Vegan Mofo, I wanted to take a culinary risk and create a meal-in-a-salad that paired these seemingly disharmonious herbs and veggies. I liked the idea of the cool mint playing against the scallion's and radish's inherent heat. And I decided that a grain and chickpea base with a citrusy dressing would make a forgiving, neutral base to temper all these elements. I used red rice from Camargue  that I bought last year in Paris; it's rather starchy and somewhat chewy. But you can use any wild rice you like, or even brown rice.

This easy salad is a meal in a bowl, perfect to pack for weekday lunches.

 Wild Rice Salad with Radishes, Scallions and Mint

• 1 cup wild rice
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Zest of one organic orange
• Juice of 1/2 an orange [About 1/4 cup]
• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
• 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
• 1 cup sliced scallions--about 4 scallions [include the greens]
• 1 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• About 1 tsp cumin

Serves 8

1. Cook rice in broth according to package directions. 
2. Meanwhile, combine olive oil, orange zest and juice, ginger and garlic in a large, non-reactive bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Toss in the rice. Adjust seasonings. Allow to sit about 3 hours before serving so the flavors can meld.