If you’re not acquainted with Bob’s Red Mill – the logo has retro, red lettering and a picture of founder Bob Moore in a blue cap – then you should be.
The Oregon company offers a line of 400-plus wholesome, whole grain products in nearly every grocery retailer and natural foods store in North America, from stone-ground flours and hot cereals to baking mixes and grains like oat groats, millet and quinoa.
Started in 1972 by Bob Moore and his wife Charlee in Redding, Calif., the company has since moved to Milwaukie, Oregon, and grown into an international business, producing an ever-widening range of products, including separate lines of organic and gluten-free products.
You can visit the Oregon mill and see Bob (still working at 80 years old, a true testament to his products’ health claims), take a cooking class and tour the mill, which still grinds grains the old-fashioned way, with quartz millstones sourced from outside of Paris, France.
Or, you could just pick up a copy of the company’s new cookbook, “Bob’s Red Mill Cookbook,” and start playing around with a few of the products yourself. I’ve just barely scratched the surface so far, using Bob’s organic cornmeal for Shrimp and Grits, and cooking up his delicious, 6-Grain Cereal for breakfast as an alternative to oatmeal.
But I plan to experiment with some of the savory grain and bean recipes in the new cookbook, such as the Tuscan Garbanzo Bean Salad, the Herbed Wild Rice Salad with Asparagus and Pecans, and the Warm Quinoa Salad with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and lemon. Here’s a recipe from the book to get you inspired to integrate healthy, whole grains into your spring diet.
Herbed Wild Rice Salad with Asparagus and Pecans
Serves 6 to 8
1 pound asparagus
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup wild rice
1 cup long-grain brown rice
2½ cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup tiny green peas (fresh or frozen)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
¾ cup Lemony Yogurt Dressing (see below)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Put a medium saucepan of deep, well-salted water on to boil. Snap off and discard the tough lower portions of the asparagus. Wash the stalks thoroughly and sliced diagonally into bite-size pieces. Blanch the asparagus in the boiling water for 2 to 4 minutes until it just yields when poked with a knife.
Use a measuring cup to scoop out and reserve casino online 1½ cups of the cooking water. Then use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked asparagus to a large bowl of ice water (or to a sieve or colander so that you can rinse it under cold running water until it is completely cooled.)
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the wild rice and the brown rice and cook, stirring to coat well, for 1 minute. Add the reserved asparagus cooking liquid and stock. Raise the heat to high just long enough to bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 35 to 45 minutes, or until rice is tender, but not soft.
Drain the rice of any excess liquid and spread on a baking sheet to dry for about 15 minutes but no longer, as rice can harden once dried. (Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.)
Combine the rice, asparagus, peas, scallions, herbs, pecans and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl and toss to mix. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste. Mound in a large, shallow serving bowl or on individual plates. Can be served at room temperature or chilled.
Lemony Yogurt Dressing
Makes about ¾ cup
½ cup plain yogurt
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons juice and 2 teaspoons zest
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice and zest, oil and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
