Asparagus, Egg, & Wild Rice Salad

All the greens came from the garden! Here it is, the May long weekend, and as usual the weather has turned and we are into a different season. I was not convinced it was going to happen this year, but right on schedule! We are now very busy in the garden.

I'm calling for 3 eggs, but yes; I used 4 eggs. They came from hens who were plainly just learning their trade and were very small - eggs, not hens. No idea about them. With the wild rice and eggs, this is a reasonably substantial although not heavy salad, and makes a complete meal in itself. I think it is flexible enough that it could be served as part of a larger menu, in which case it would, of course, go further.

2 to 6 servings
45 minutes to cook the wild rice, not including cooling it,
with about 15 minutes of that time to cook the asparagus & eggs
15 minutes to assemble the salad

Cook the Wild Rice, Asparagus & Eggs:
2/3 cup wild rice
2 1/4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
450 grams (1 pound) asparagus
3 large eggs

Put the wild rice, water, and salt into the rice cooker, and turn on. Remove it as soon as it is cooked and allow it to cool. It is not a bad idea to do this the day before.

Meanwhile, wash and trim the asparagus, and steam or boil it until just tender; about 4 minutes. Rinse in cold water until cool, then drain well. Chop it into bite-sized pieces.

Put the eggs in a pot with plenty of water to cover them and bring them to a boil. Boil for 1 minute then cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Rinse in cold water until cool then peel them.

Make the Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon horseradish
juice of 1/4 lemon, optional, see below
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk together in a small bowl or shake together in jar.

Assemble the Salad:
2 cups chopped lettuce
1cup chopped sorrel, if available
1 or 2 cups chopped spinach
2 or 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives

Wash, pick over, and dry the greens, and chop them. Use more spinach if you cannot get any sorrel, and also add the lemon juice to the dressing - if you have the sorrel, then omit it.

Toss the greens with the cooked wild rice and asparagus pieces, then toss in the dressing. Slice or quarter the eggs and arrange them over the salad, and serve.




Last year at this time I made Russian Fish & Spring Greens Pie.

Posted in: Ontario Food