French Farmhouse Cooking

On a lay over in the Denver airport, I picked up the newest issue of Food and Wine magazine. As I was thumbing through the magazine I came across an article about Alain Coumont and his restaurant, Le Pain Quotidien. The article talks about how his menu is quietly becoming vegan and how they use fresh seasonal ingredients in their menu. The story and recipes intrigued me. I couldn't wait to get home and try some of them out. So, last night I tackled his Brown Rice Pilaf with Green Olives and Lemon. It was fantastic! It tasted more like a risotto than a pilaf to me. I love how creamy and complex the flavors were. You could really taste the earthiness of the olives and the hint of lemon and the herbs. The creaminess comes from the slow cooking process and all the water. I made the recipe exactly as written and I usually do when I try a new recipe. Let me just say, the servings were for twelve. It makes a lot. I would cut it into a third next time. Believe it or not the recipe uses 3 cups of short grain brown rice to 10 cups of water. Yes, I said 10 cups of water and the rice absorbs most all of it. I will be eating this for quite awhile, but that's okay, it is so good and good for you. I highly recommend picking up this months issue and reading the article.