Wild Rice Confetti Salad

Wild rice makes an earthy, nutty backdrop for a salad. The "confetti" in this salad are bits of corn, carrot, and other colorful veggies. This is a hearty salad for any time of year, and is great for picnics and potlucks.

Serves: 4 to 6

• ¾ cup raw wild rice, rinsed
• 2 ½ cups vegetable stock or water

• Juice of ½ lemon or lime (plus more to finish)
• Juice of ½ orange
• Zest of ½ orange (optional but highly recommended)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 cup cooked fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
• 1 large carrot, finely diced
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• ¼ cup toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds (pepitas), optional

Combine the wild rice with the stock in a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Cover and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes. If you'd like a more tender grain, stir in an additional ½ cup water and continue to cook until absorbed.

Transfer the wild rice to a serving container. Add the lemon juice, orange juice, optional zest, and oil, and let it cool.

Add the vegetables and stir them in. Add more lemon or lime juice to taste — this will really bring up the flavor. Season to taste with cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in the optional seeds and serve.

• Here are more recipes for grain salads.