• Rice Salad is a Thompson family stand by for picnics. As a child, I spent many summers at my Grandmother’s riverhouse. During the days, she would schlep us around the state of Florida to festivals and water holes. Just yesterday I remembered how great summertime trips to the roadside farmstand to pick up a giant watermelon were. The highlight of our days.

My mom still makes this salad when we go to concerts in the park or picnics outside. It is a great mayo-free stand by. And, you can add whatever veggies you have on hand. I used tomatoes and cucumbers from our alleyway garden and green olives and peppers from the store. This makes a big batch – so make sure you have a crowd or time for leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice
• olive oil
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• red wine vinegar
• veggies of your choice (peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives)

Assembly: Cook two cups of rice. While hot, toss and coat with olive oil. Add scallions (the heat will cook them slightly). Refrigerate over night. The next day, add red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped vegetables. Taste throughout to make sure the seasoning is correct.