I’ve been loving all of the foodie shopping opportunities here in the Bay Area. I’m a bit of a grocery store junkie: whether it’s a big supermarket or a small gourmet boutique, I love browsing the shelves, looking for the unusual, the new, and the hard-to-find, seeking out good deals and inspiration. Oakland is full of great grocery stores: We’re only blocks from Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s is right up the road. Berkeley Bowl is a heaven of wonderful smelling produce, and the Rockridge Market Hall brings together all of my favorite things (bread, fresh pasta, sustainably-produced meat, wine, coffee, the list goes on) under one roof. And let’s not even get started on the Farmers’ Markets.
I didn’t think we would get to San Francisco often; most of the people I know who live up here seem to pick their side of the Bay and stick with it. But Sean and I have made it to the Ferry Building Marketplace at least three times since we’ve lived here. Doesn’t hurt that we joined the wine club, and at least once a month we have a ready-made excuse to jump on BART and go pick up delicious wine. I love the Ferry Building Marketplace. I don’t even mind the crazy crowds. I love wandering through the smells and colors, being tempted by the variety, by ingredients I’ve read about but rarely find in grocery stores, and wow, let’s not even talk about the chocolate. I tend to get easily drawn in, and in the midst of all the gloriousness, I forget to think about prices. And that can get me in trouble. It’s not often that you find something at Whole Foods for half the price you paid elsewhere, but that’s what happened when I was drawn in by some beautiful Ruby Red Jasmine Rice. Alas.
The exceedingly high price I paid for the rice was nearly forgotten when we ate it, though. It’s some great stuff: not only is it a beautiful rich purple-brown color, but the flavor is deeply nutty and just a little sweet, and the texture is just right: chewy, with a little burst between the teeth with each bite. It was a great choice for this Wild Greek Rice salad: The nuttiness balanced the acidity and saltiness of the artichoke hearts and feta just right.
We bought some lovely purple spring onions at the Farmers’ Market for this dish, and Sean wondered if we could use the stalks as well as the bulbs. Turns out, we could! The onion stalks, lightly grilled, were just perfect on some crostini, with a light smear of fromage blanc and creme fraiche. Altogether, this made a very simple spring meal. The wild rice took a little while to cook, but the rest of the prep is quite easy and it all comes together quickly once the rice is cooked.
Wild Greek Rice Salad
If you don’t have Greek seasoning, you can use a mixture of garlic, marjoram, oregano, and lemon. The Greek seasoning I use has salt and pepper in it, so I didn’t add much additional seasoning. I don’t mind canned artichoke hearts, although I’m sure fresh would even more awesome. I just don’t usually have the patience for that. I haven’t had great luck with frozen artichoke hearts in the past, but if you have a brand you like, by all means, pull them out of the freezer.
- 3/4 cup wild rice
- 1 1/2 cups water or stock
- about 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped spring onions
- about 1 1/2 teaspoons Greek seasoning (I use Penzey’s; see my note above about the seasoning)
- 1 can of artichoke hearts, chopped
- about 1/3 to 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- salt and pepper to taste
Heat a small saucepan over medium to high heat, and add the rice to the dry saucepan, just to get it a little toasty. Let it cook, stirring frequently, for only about a minute, then add the water or stock. Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and let cook until the rice is tender. Most wild rices take about 45 minutes to cook.
When the rice is nearly done, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute for about a minute, until the onion begins to soften. Add the Greek seasoning (or a blend of your choosing). Add the chopped artichoke hearts, and cook until they are warmed through and the onion is soft and golden. Stir in the rice and the crumbled feta, and season to taste.
Spring Onion Crostini
Can’t find creme fraiche or fromage blanc? No problem: Use ricotta instead of fromage blanc. Sour cream can stand in for the creme fraiche, if you want, but ricotta is pretty good on its own, too.
- tops from about 2 or 3 spring onions, about 6-8 inches long
- 1 baguette
- about 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup fromage blanc
- 1/4 cup creme fraiche
Thread the onions together on two or three skewers, to prevent them from falling through the grill rack. Grill the onion tops until they are charred and warm through, then chop them into large chunks.
Slice the baguette into half-inch slices and lay them out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the bread with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toast them in a toaster oven for a few minutes, or bake them in the oven at about 350 degrees for about five to eight minutes. The bread should be warm and crusty, and maybe a little golden at the edges, but not too dried out.
Stir together the fromage blanc and creme fraiche until smooth. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the fromage blanc mixture on each crostini, then top with the grilled onion pieces.
