Wild rice, mushroom and smoked turkey salad (Main-dish salad)

 

             Plain roast turkey, cooked pork, or cubes of ham or ham and cheese can be substituted for the turkey. The salad makes a wonderful filling for hollowed-out tomatoes or blanched zucchini boats.

Makes 4 servings

• 1 package (½ ounce) dried muhrooms
• 1 leek, trimmed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon leaf thyme, crumbled
• Two-third cup uncooked wild rice
• One-third cup uncooked white rice
• 2 small summer squash (8 ounces), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound chunk smoked turkey, cut into 2 x ½ x ½-inch sticks
• 3 medium-size plum tomatoes, sliced

1. Soak dried mushrooms in boiling water to cover for 20 minutes ; drain, reserving and straining soaking liquid for another use, if you wish.
2. Rinse mushrooms well, pat dry with paper toweling, cut off any though stems and discard ; chop mushrooms.
3. Slice leek, rinse in colander under running water to remove all sand ; pat dry with paper toweling.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium heat ; add leek, sauté 4 minutes.
5. Stir in soaked dried and fresh mushrooms, rosemary and thyme ; sauté 6 minutes until liquid has evaporated and scrape into large mixing bowl.
6. Bring large pot of water to boiling ; add wild rice and boil 25 minutes.
7. Stir in white rice and boil 12 minutes ; stir in summer squash and boil 3 minutes until rices are tender.
8. Drain in colander ; add rice mixture to mushroom mixture in bowl.
9. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in small bowl ; add along smoked turkey to rice mixture ; toss to coat.
10. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
11. Serve chill or at room temperature, garnished with tomato slices.

BON APPÉTIT