Rice salads are a great way to use up bits and pieces of leftover ingredients. The important things are to cook the rice in lots of water, like pasta, so that it isn't starchy and sticky and to dress the rice while it is still warm.
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When you're ready to serve, toss the pear, cheese, and greens together with as much of the dressing as you like. Serve immediately.
Ingredients
This salad resounds with the intense fragrances and flavors of southern Italy. It's a new take on an old favorite. Thick-sliced tomatoes with mozzarella and basil are spiced with a mixture inspired by the Arab influences in southern Italy. Spoon between the slices a blend of toasted pine nuts, onions, currants, and garlic spiked with fresh lemon juice and hot pepper. The tomatoes and mozzarella foil these new tastes beautifully.
From The Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking, by Mai Pham.
From Vegetables: The Most Authoritative Guide to Buying, Preparing, and Cooking, with More Than 300 Recipes, by James Peterson.
Ingredients
I have been making variations of this quintessentially Israeli salad for almost 30 years. Not only does it taste and look good, but it is so easy to prepare that I make it for last-minute dinner guests when I have no lettuce in the house. (Somehow my fridge is always stocked with raw carrots.)