Making a Meal of Rice, Tomatoes and Cheese

We can hardly wait for lunch at Cafe Drake HRV when we have leftovers like these in the fridge! Rice and Mushroom Pilaf reheats like a dream and is just as delicious the second time around with more sliced tomatoes, red onions and olives. Why break up a great team?

Our Mushroom and Brown Rice Pilaf may just become your next go-to weeknight supper. Begin by frying 1 chopped onion and 1 diced carrot in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Use and oven-proof vessel and cook slowly, over a low flame, until the onion is beginning to brown. Add 1 clove of garlic (chopped) and 1 whole dried red chile (broken into pieces). Cook a minute or two and then add 1 cup short-grain brown rice and 1 cup chopped mushrooms of choice. Stir-fry for 2 minutes and pour in 2 1/2 cups of vegetable stock. Season with salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. Remove from stove and bake, covered tightly, for approximately 40 minutes in a 350 degree F. oven. When ready, all of the liquid should be absorbed. remove from oven, let rest for 10 minutes, still covered, and then fluff with a fork. Prepare for your new favorite rice dish.

The pilaf with arugula, Manouri cheese and tomatoes from our garden.

The homegrown heirloom tomatoes at Cafe Drake HRV need little other than a good finishing salt.

Most supermarkets and all gourmet food stores now stock a selection of Greek cheeses beyond feta. Ricotta salata makes an excellent substitute for Manouri.