Early Autumn Salad

Wild Rice Salad with Apples, Celery and Cranberries 

Cook's notes: This salad comes from the General Store Cafe of Minnetonka, MN. It's a gluten free recipe featured in Eat and Explore Minnesota Cookbook and Travel Guide.  Use only enough dressing to moisten salad. Any extra dressing can be used the next day on left over salad.  Recipe serves four.
Cooking tip: 1 cup uncooked wild rice = 4 cups cooked wild rice  

Dressing Ingredients:

• 6 TB. white balsamic vinegar or Cranberry Pear Balsamic
• 4 TB. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lemon Olive Oil or Blood Orange Olive Oil  
• 2 small garlic cloves, finely minced
• 4 TB. honey 
• 2 TB. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. grated orange or lemon peel  
• Dash of salt

Salad Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked wild rice
• 1-1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup red apple, diced  (with skin on) 
• 1 cup green apple, diced (with skin on)
• 3 TB. sunflower seeds or 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries or cran-raisins
• optional adding red or green grapes

Dressing Directions:

• Add all ingredients in a blender  and mix well. 

Salad Directions:

• Pour 1 cup boiling water over dried cranberries,let sit 10 minutes and drain water. 
• Mix cooked rice with celery, apples, nuts and cranberries.
• Add enough dressing to moisten salad. Refrigerate 2-4 hours covered. Just before serving add more dressing if needed.