Rita’s Ensalata Mare E Terre
By Yankee Magazine|Mar 04 2008|
Sonya’s sister, Rita Speranza, is a chef at Wild Oats Natural Marketplace in West Hartford, Connecticut. This is her variation on a salad she makes for the fresh-foods deli. The grains and vegetables come from the earth, and the seaweed from the ocean — hence this dish’s melodic name.
Yield
10 servings
Total Time
40 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup kasha (roasted buckwheat)
1 cup wheat berries
1 cup wild rice
1 ounce dried arame seaweed, chopped
1 ounce dried wakame seaweed, chopped
1/2 cup julienned carrots
1/2 cup snow peas, cut on the bias
1 cup cashews, toasted
Ginger-Garlic Dressing
Garnishes: 1/2 cup diced red pepper, 1/2 cup chopped green onion
Instructions
Cook grains (separately) until al dente and set aside. (Wheat berries and wild rice take about 75 minutes to cook fully; kasha cooks in about 20 minutes.)
Place seaweeds in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit 15 minutes, to absorb water and soften. Drain water; reserve seaweed in a large bowl. Add grains, vegetables, and cashews. Add Ginger-Garlic Dressing to taste; toss until salad is well coated and fully combined. Garnish with red pepper and green onions.
Ginger
Ingredients
1/2 cup shoyou (tamari sauce)
1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup brown rice vinegar
1/2 cup sucanat (unrefined sugar cane)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons mellow white miso
2 garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
In a medium-size bowl, whisk ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Makes 1-1/2 cups.
