Bag Lunch: Whole Grain Rice Salad

Fall is around the corner, which means this recipe featuring cherries is a bit ill-timed, but I made it weeks ago and want to share it with you before it has to hibernate for the winter.

I found this recipe in Super Natural Everyday when I was killing time at Barnes and Noble last month. I was too cheap (and poor) to buy the book itself, so I took pictures of the recipe with my iPhone. I am nothing if not resourceful. The author, Heidi Swanson, has a blog that showcases her incredible food photography and super-healthy recipes.

Here's what you'll need:

• 3 1/2 cups cooked whole grain rice (still warm, or reheated)
• 4 handfuls baby spinach
• 2/3 cup walnuts halves, toasted (It was 7:30 am when I made this, I did not toast!)
• 1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted
• 1/2 extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• salt
• a few basil leaves
• a bit of goat cheese or feta (I used feta)

Here's what to do:

• Combine the hot rice, spinach, and most of the walnuts in a large bowl. Toss until the spinach wilts a bit. 

• Make a cherry vinaigrette by combining one-third of the cherries, oil, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and blending until smooth. Take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous the pink vinaigrette looks and then add a generous splash (or giant drizzle) of the dressing to the salad. 

• Tear the remaining cherries in half and stir most of them into the rice. Taste and add salt as needed.

• If you're serving this at an event, turn the salad out onto a platter and finish with the last of the cherries, walnuts, basil, and cheese. If you're taking it to work, like I did, just add these last ingredients in the previous step, before you salt the salad.

Unfortunately, because I made this in the morning before work one day I don't have any pictures of the process, so this is the only surviving picture. Ignore my nasty, tape-encrusted cutting mat in the background.

Word of warning, this delicious salad is best enjoyed the day you make it. I learned the hard way by eating it for a few days. The cut side of the cherries turns brown, and the walnuts become waterlogged. Not terrible, but not necessarily good eats, either. I guess you can remedy this by making the rice mixture and stirring in the dressing and add-ins each morning when you pack your lunch. I know cherries are probably scarce, but run out and make this if you can!