Seventy degree weather today is rapidly melting what was left of the snow from our April Fool’s Day snowstorm. Now the little bits of life that have been hibernating under the ground all winter are starting to reappear. In the herb garden today I found the tips of chives pushing their way up through the soil, and some tiny salad burnet leaves spreading open. There was just enough to snip off and toss into a salad I was making.

They added a fresh taste of spring to the rice salad, which also included some of the carrots I got at the farm stand last week.

Carrot Rice Salad

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 large carrot, grated

2 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (chives, salad burnet, mint, parsley, whatever you have available)

2 tsp chopped fresh ginger

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup raisins

balsamic vinegar

salt to taste

Toss together the rice, carrots, herbs, ginger, walnuts, and raisins. Add the vinegar 1 tablespoon at a time until you get a taste you like. Add salt. This tastes best if chilled before serving.

You can use lemon, lime, or orange juice in place of the vinegar. You can also add a tablespoon of olive oil if you like.

Local analysis of today’s salad:

Local – carrots (from farm stand), herbs (from my garden)

Non local – rice, ginger, walnuts, raisins, vinegar, salt