Saturday, May 22, 2010

Rice Salad with Taggiasca Olives and Ligurian Extra Virgin Olive Oil



I am officially a fan of Ligurian olive oil and Taggiasca olives.

After eating a rich, tasty, hearty rabbit for dinner yesterday, I wanted something light for brunch and made rice salad with leftover Jasmin rice.

The thing is, when I drizzled some of the Ligurian extra virgin olive oil onto the rice, tossed it around a bit and tasted it, it was...wonderful! It felt like a violation to put anything else into it as a matter of fact.

I hesitated to add any other ingredients for fear of corrupting the lovely flavors which for some reason reminded me of stepping onto a layer of virgin snow.

I added some Taggiasca olives first and some salt, and tasted it again.

So far so good.

Then I added some ripe red cherry tomatoes I picked-up at the market yesterday as well as some thinly sliced red onions.

Then I added some chopped basil.

Still really nice.

Then I got more daring and added some tuna, because this is what goes into these kinds of salads usually.

It was tasting all very good and then I wondered about adding lemon juice.

Would this be too strong?

I only added a few drops and tossed the salad around.

Got more daring and ground some black pepper on top.

To be a purist, you'd need to procure tuna packed in Ligurian olive oil, but even with this shortcoming, the rice salad still tasted great.

Jasmine Rice Salad with Taggiasca Olives & Ligurian Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ingredients

Leftover Jasmine Rice
Ligurian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Taggiasca Olives
Red Onion
Tuna
Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh Basil Leaves
Lemon Juice
Sea Salt
Black Pepper

This is a leftover recipe and there are no steps to be followed, but I would suggest tossing the rice with the olive oil first, and then adding the other ingredients. I prefer to put the basil in last because it can get bruised and discolor. The amount of each ingredient is left to the discretion of the cook as some people prefer a stronger onion flavor, stronger lemon flavor and so on. However, if you want to retain the lovely taste of the olive oil, it's advisable to use as little as you can (except for the Taggiasca olives of course!).

16 comments:

ann low said...

Hahaa...you're the daring cook!
No harm trying any ingredients we have on hand after all these are going into our stomach.

Jhonny walker said...

I love you..Love the bold ingredients...I am doing this today! for sure ..will let you know :)

Jhonny walker said...

It is great...even with EVOO and without fish or meat..must be even better with those...I love this idea..thanks a lot :)

Taste of Beirut said...

Now I want to taste that Ligurian olive oil! I love the simplicity of this dish and the fact that you are showcasing olive oil and olives in it! Right up my alley as a matter of fact!

Lori said...

I bet the flavors were incredible. You have me totally curious about this olive oil. I think I am going to have to try and find it.

♥peachkins♥ said...

I'm a rice eater but I never imagined it as a salad...this looks good..

blowing peachkisses
The Peach Kitchen
peach and things

Jana said...

it looks really yummy!:-)
very creative idea...thanks for sharing!

Dorte said...

This salad looks and sounds really good ... very interesting with the olive oil.
Just read/saw your post with the rerabbit dish. Looks so delicious, but rabbit is one the meats I really can't convince myself to try.

Dewi said...

Hi Murasaki, how are you ....

I never made rice salad before. Sounds pretty perfect for hot summer day.

pigpigscorner said...

Very interesting, great idea serving this with the rabbit dish! Very refreshing!

Chef Dennis Littley said...

what a great salad...I do love good olives, and great olive oil is a must....we are fortunate to have the Italian market in Philadelphia were so many artisan Italian olive oils are sold!
I love your blog!

Taste of Beirut said...

Murasaki

You were describing a rice salad I used to eat as a kid! My mom would make this when we would go on our sunday outings in the mountains and took a picnic with us; I loved it then and I love it today!

Soma said...

very much my kind of meal just the way i would like it for my lunch. light,easy and intensely flavorful!

Murasaki Shikibu said...

Anncoo: lol, this isn't that daring. ;)
Jhonny walker: This is a great way to recycle leftover rice. It doesn't have to be Jasmin.
Lori: It's easy, quick, simple and quite good!
Peachkins: After eating Asian, we always have some leftover rice so I've come-up with numerous ways of eating it the next day.
Jana: Thanks!
Dorte: I guess this is less scarier than a rabbit. :)
Elra: It can be prepared before hand too, so if you need to have a buffet of several dishes this is kind of handy.
Pigpigscorner: Samuele suggested cooking rice with the rabbit so that it would come out like a risotto, but yes this might work on the side.
Chef Denis: I love what you're doing at the school. Thanks for stopping by.
Taste of Beruit: So I was cooking Lebanese and I didn't even know it? :D
Soma: Thanks for stopping by. Really love to read feedback!

Anonymous said...

Sounds delicious. Isn't it fun to be able to improvise and have a dish turn out delicious? The ingredients sound wonderful--and healthy.

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