Rice River Farms Products 10% Off in March

A blog post by PFW Staffer Jeff Tabels. All Rice River Farms products are 10% in March.

Recently, I've had an increased interest in grains & legumes. They're a great way to get excellently-nutritious food into your diet as well as tasting delicious.

It started a few years ago when I discovered quinoa. The "super grain" has a wonderful nutty brown flavor. My friend Melissa Yen, of Jo Snow Syrups, even uses it in breakfast porridge. Soon, couscous, regular & Israeli, came into the picture. As the joke goes, food so nice they named it twice. Then just recently, beans. I really wanted to challenge myself to work with beans in dry form. I have always believed that cooking low & slow infuses the flavors in a dish, and that's exactly what dry beans need.

Provenance carries a wonderful line that covers all this and more: Rice River Farms, based in Aitkin, MN. They have an extensive line of rice, grains, beans, pastas & much more. The items I've used from these guys have been fantastic in flavor as well as inspiration.

Scarlett Runner Beans practically quadruple in size; Christmas Limas are silky smooth when cooked with some butter & garlic; Steuben Yellow Eyes work wonderfully in any bean dip; Snow Cap Beans & Cannellini Beans are an easy staple for stews & soups.

These guys also have an amazing lineup of rice. I've been toying around with their Bamboo Rice, whic has a subtle sweetness & wonderful green color. It's just sticky enough after cooking that I think this rice would be good in maki rolls. Himalayan Red Rice in a pilaf with dried fruit? YES!

I know I've left out a bunch of other Rice River Farms items, and I'm sorry. Looks like you'll have to come over & take a look for yourself!


Here are a few recipes to try out. Enjoy!

Breakfast Quinoa
from Melissa Yen, Jo Snow Syrups

1 cup cooked quinoa (Rice River Farms)
3/4 - 1 cup almond milk
Handful of sunflower seeds (raw, hulled & unsalted)
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 TBSP maple syrup or honey or agave nectar
Handful of dried cherries

Put first 6 ingredients in a pot. Bring to boil, lower heat to simmer & cook until liquid is absorbed, about 7-8 minutes (depending on how thick you like it).
I add the dried cherries to plump up when it's almost done.
Transfer to a bowl (as all proper recipes would say) & sprinkle with more cinnamon.


White Bean Soup
from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything

1 ½ cups Rice River Farms Cannellini Beans, rinsed & picked over
6 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or water, plus more if necessary
1 medium onion, quartered
2 TBSP butter or extra-virgin olive oil (optional) Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Place the beans, stock or water, and onion in a large deep saucepan or casserole; turn the heat to medium-high. When it boils, turn the heat down to medium-low & cover partially. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are very soft, at least an hour.

Put the mixture through a food mill or strainer, or puree it in a blender. (You may prepare the soup in advance up to this point. Cover, refrigerate for up to 2 days & reheat before proceeding.) Reheat, adding more stock or water if necessary to achieve the consistency you like. Stir in the butter or oil, season with salt & pepper, garnish & serve.