A generous Frenchwoman living with her family in the Alps first introduced me (Kate) to this salad. The name means housewife salad, and every French cook has her own approach. My salade mentor worked full time in Geneva, then came home and made stupendous meals. She had two daughters, one of whom was a teen like me, and one of whom, Dorothy, was eight years old and followed me around like a pet. After dinner, I sat at their banquette kitchen table and tried to understand recipe instructions through my not-broken-because-it-was-never-whole French. My host washed the dishes while she explained how to prepare her recipes, and little Dorothy sat next to me, drinking her bedtime herbal tea.
Whatever you do to make this salad your own, the combination of a nutty starch with vinaigrette and crisp vegetables is wonderfully satisfying. Make this the destination for your excess summer vegetables, or serve it alongside fresh farmer’s market tomatoes, sliced thin with salt, pepper, and a touch of olive oil.
Salade Ménagère
serves 4 to 6 as a side
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
2 cups rice, cooked
1 carrot, diced small
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup legume (white beans, chickpeas, or kidney beans)
1/4 cup olives, sliced
1 small bunch scallions, sliced
Any other vegetables that sound tasty - we particularly like radishes, diced small. One rib of celery, diced small, is nice too.
Fresh herbs, if you have any. (We use parsley and/or dill)
Lemon, freshly ground pepper (for serving)
Mix red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and mustard in a small jar. Put a lid on the jar and shake vigorously. Pour dressing over rice and stir. You can make this a day ahead and store it, covered, in the refrigerator. Close to serving time, add chopped vegetables and some fresh pepper. Taste for salt. If you like, add a squeeze of lemon. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
*A note on cooked rice: several places sell frozen cooked rice including Trader Joe’s. We like to bake short grain brown rice in large batches and then freeze it ourselves. Of course, rice is easy to make. Short grain rices make the salad a little chewy, but basmati is always delicious.
Lucia made this batch, omitting everything she doesn’t like: celery, beans, and peas. And still we loved it.