Rice Salad for a Screened-In Porch Dinner

It's better than a pasta salad

Photo by Tara Donne. Food Styled by Pearl Jones. Prop Styled by Rebecca Bartoshesky.

We made it to Nova Scotia on Canada Day and tomorrow is July 4th. And frankly, I’m all out of whack! What I do know is there will be a barbecue (if it ever stops raining) you are either hosting or attending over the next few days and I’m here to help you with the perfect side to bring. 

I’ll start by saying, I’m not a pasta salad person. I wrote a whole book on pasta and didn’t include ONE. That’s about as far as I’ll go with a “hot take” as I am also not a “hot take” person. I am however, a rice salad person and I encourage you to be one too. The below recipe appeared in Colu Cooks: Easy Fancy Food, but I feel as though it’s merely a jumpboard for you to create a rice salad that speaks to you! Add tuna instead of salami, or don’t, add sun-dried tomatoes or not, swap out arugula for pea shoots or other baby greens, add some toasted pine nuts… In short, make it the back pocket pasta of rice salads and use what you have. In retrospect, I probably should have used Carnaroli rice, but live and learn.

This dish also transports very well and can be made ahead, so if you’re hosting or being hosted, you’re in good shape either way. If you do make it ahead, I would stir in the arugula closer to serving time, so it doesn’t get soppy.

Lastly, I finished season two of The Bear last week (sorry,

emily nunn

- I know your feelings on the recon, but I did work front of house and have a very dysfunctional Italian-American family, so I hope you’ll let me slide on this one!) and I wept through every episode. I liked season one just fine, but wasn’t as taken with it as the rest of the world. Wait, was that another “hot take?!” This season however, is simply one of the most beautiful television shows I have ever watched. The “Feast of the Seven Fishes” episode was particularly a masterpiece. If you haven’t already, get on it! 

Now, how about that recipe (?!), which is also very Italian-American.

Rice Salad for a Screened-In Porch Dinner

Growing up in the suburbs of New York City meant screened-in porches for summer dinners. I still have a very strong affection for them. After dinner on the weekends, my no-longer-married parents used to play bridge with their visiting city friends and drink white wine spritzers and snack on in-shell salted peanuts late into the night. This was the mid-eighties after all. I stayed up late too, trying to learn how to cut and riffle cards, always waiting to see who would end up the “dummy,” and hoping they might provide me with some entertainment as they had to sit out the round. I affectionately remember many meals spent on the porch off the back of my childhood home and the joyful snap of the screen door closing. I also remember that on sweltery days we’d often have rice salad for dinner. My mom’s recipe had salty chunks of provolone, thickly sliced garden tomatoes, and ribbons of romaine, among many other things, which was lovely and, not surprisingly, leaned toward her Italian-American upbringing. I’ve tried here to recreate something of the like by memory, but to also make it my own. Serve it solo or as a side with grilled fish, spritzer on ice in hand, sweaty brow not required, but likely present.

SERVES

6

TIME 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups long-grain white rice

3 ounces (85 g) hard Italian salami, from brands such as La Quercia or Olympia Provisions, cut into 1⁄2-inch (12 mm) dice

1 cup (113 g) loosely packed shaved provolone (I like to use a Y-peeler for this.)

2 thinly sliced green onions (both white and green parts)

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed well if in salt

3 cups (45 g) loosely packed baby arugula

1 ½  cups (120 g) roughly chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as basil and flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more to taste

3 teaspoons good-quality balsamic vinegar, plus more to taste

METHOD

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the rice and cook until al dente, about 15 minutes. Drain and spread in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together the rice, salami, provolone, green onions, capers, arugula, and half the herbs. 

Drizzle with the olive oil and the vinegar and toss to combine. Drizzling with more of each if desired. Top with the remaining herbs and serve.

Have a good rest of this weird (is it a holiday week or not?) week!

With love,

Colu x