BLACK RICE SALAD WITH CORN, TOMATOES, AND SPINACH
40 MINUTES (8 ACTIVE)
4 SERVINGS AND 1 LUNCH THE NEXT DAY
Black rice is a brilliant canvas for color on the plate; its purple-black darkness beautifully punctuates the greens, yellows, and tomatoes of summer. We tested recipes with the Chinese-style rice sold as Forbidden Rice. It’s so striking that it makes you forget that it’s also a whole-grain rice, full of the fiber and nutrients that get polished off of white rice. In this dish, it plays the role of a pasta, tossed together with a garlic-kissed sauté of corn, spinach, and tomatoes.
• 1 cup black rice
• Fine sea salt to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño chile (no seeds or pith)
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kernels from 2 ears corn (about 1 cup)
• 1 bunch spinach, well washed, roots and thick stems removed, leaves cut into 3- to 4-inch strips
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 teaspoon lime juice, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Red pepper flakes, preferably Aleppo or Marash, to taste
In a 2- or 3-quart saucepan with a lid, bring the rice, 1¾ cups water, and about ½ teaspoon salt to a boil. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and cover the pan. Cook for 30 minutes, turn off the heat, and stir the rice. Cover and let steam for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, jalapeño, and lime zest.
In a large skillet with a lid, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add half the garlic mixture and stir frequently until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the corn, season with salt, and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the spinach, another pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons water. Cover the pan and let the spinach steam for 2 minutes, until the spinach is easy to stir. Mix the corn and spinach well and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until all the spinach leaves have softened. Stir in the remaining garlic mixture, the cherry tomatoes, cooked rice, lime juice, cilantro, and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Turn off the heat, taste, and add pepper flakes or more salt or lime juice, if desired.