Black Rice with Black-Eyed Peas and Greens

An invigorating melange of flavors, textures and colors, this is an attractive dish to serve hot or at room temperature. I just love the way the corn, black-eyed peas, and greens look against the dark rice, but if brown rice is what you’ve got on hand, that will work, too. Adapted from Wild About Greens by Nava Atlas.

Serves: 6 to 8

• 1 cup forbidden black rice (or use wild rice)
• 3 cups vegetable broth or water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large celery stalks, finely diced
• 3  to 4 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 2 cups cooked fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels (from 3 medium-large ears)
• 10 to 12 ounces collards greens or kale (any variety), stemmed and cut into narrow ribbons
• 15- to 16-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon, to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, or more, to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, or more, to taste
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Toasted pumpkin seeds for topping, optional

1. Combine the wild or black rice in a saucepan with the broth. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 40 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet or stir-fry pan. Add the carrots, onion, garlic, celery, and white parts of the scallion and sauté over medium heat until all are golden.
3. Stir in the green parts of the scallion and corn.
4. Stir in the greens, then add 1/4 cup water. Continue cooking until greens are wilted down and nearly tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the black-eyed peas, vinegar, and lemon juice. Stir together and cook for a minute or two, then stir in the wild or black rice.
6. Stir in the dill and parsley, then season with salt and pepper. Serve at once, passing around pumpkin seeds for topping individual servings if desired.

Variation: Use stemmed and sliced turnip greens in place of all or part of the collards or kale.

• Here are more recipes for hardy greens.
• Here are more of VegKitchen’s Vegan Dinner Recipes and
  more Main Dishes Featuring Grains and/or Beans.