One dish I remember my grandmother making often was rice pilaf. It was one of our favorites, and she always served it with peas. So, when I recently came across a recipe for a rice salad that sounded like this favorite food from the past, I had to try it out. The original recipe comes from a fun magazine I just came across called Mary Jane’s Farm. I altered it a bit based on ingredients I had on hand, and we ate it this week in the bleachers at a baseball game. (Spring means almost all of our dinners are at the field!) It wasn’t a really big hit with the kids, but it went over well with the grown-ups! Robert’s parents are visiting this week and they (along with Robert) approved of the dish. 🙂

2/3 cup wild rice
2/3 cup brown rice
3 cups water
3/4 tsp salt
1 box frozen peas
2 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
1/2-3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp honey
2 tsp lemon juice

Cook rice in water 30-45 minutes. Cool, (I also rinsed the rice in cool water after it was done) and add salt, peas, shallot, almonds, and cranberries. In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and lemon juice. Pour over rice mixture and toss to coat. Serves 8-10.