Karl’s Arugula and Cabbage Salad with Wild Rice

We are having a “festival dinner” for one of Jan’s students who is Chinese. In China, to show respect for your guest you offer many dishes. Including the gravy, I served ten dishes for this meal.

Karl’s Arugula and Cabbage Salad with Wild Rice

I had planned to use mango for this dish, but it turned out to be rotten. Fortunately I had an Asian pear handy. For the dressing, I used some of the Christmas marmalade I made last week.

Karl’s Arugula and Cabbage Salad with Wild Rice

Ingredients

Marmalade Dressing

2 Tbs. Karl’s Christmas Orange and Lemon Marmalade
1½ Tbs. vegetable oil
½ tsp. chervil
½ tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. summer savory
¼ tsp. black pepper
pinch Kosher salt
1 clove garlic, cracked

1 Asian pear, peeled and diced

Salad

3-4 cups arugula
1 cup green cabbage, shredded
3-4 sliced red radishes, sliced
¼ cup cold cooked wild rice.

Directions

1. Put all of the dressing ingredients—except the pear into a lidded jar and shack it well to blend the ingredients.

Tip: Re-shake the dressing every 5-10 minutes to redistribute the ingredients.

Note: If you do not have cooked wild rice on hand, put 2 tablespoons of raw wild rice in a small pot and add one cup of water. Bring the pot to a simmer and cover. Cook the rice for 20 minutes and then drain off the excess liquid. Set the rice aside to cool.

2. After letting the dressing meld for half an hour, remove the garlic and add the diced Asian pear.

Tip: If you really like garlic you may mince it and leave it in the dressing.

3. Shake the jar to coat the pear with the dressing.

Tip: Marinate the dressing for, at least, another half hour.

Note: The salt in the dressing will draw the juice out of the pear and thin and flavor the dressing.

4. Put the arugula, cabbage, radishes, and rice into a salad bowl.

5. Five minutes before serving, pour all of the contents of the dressing jar over the  salad and toss to coat and mix.