“Wild rice is such a staple and you can do so much with it,” says Rivianna Zeller, a sous-chef at Gatherings Cafe inside the Minneapolis American Indian Center. They come from the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe and have been making desserts for elders in the Minneapolis community as part of Gatherings Cafe’s meal delivery. Zeller didn’t want to rely on dairy, processed sugars, and flour, because those aren’t native ingredients, so they came up with this simple (and vegan!) dessert: a palm-size tart crusted with crispy wild rice and brimming with berries.
Zeller loves Native Harvest wild rice for its consistent high quality and exceptional softness; the grains are grown in the lakes of northern Minnesota and hand-harvested by Ojibwe tribe members. The wild rice forms the shells for this dessert, which are topped with dried cherries that are rehydrated in hot water to soften them as well as add body and sweetness to the strawberry filling.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 12
Ingredients
1
8
1
Preparation
Step 1
Heat oven to 350°. Brush the cups of one standard 12-cup muffin pan or two standard 6-cup muffin pans with oil. Bring 6 cups lightly salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice, cover, and cook until water evaporates and grains split open, about 1½ hours. Spread out rice on a large rimmed baking sheet and let cool. Reserve pan.
Step 2
Return rice to pan and, using your hands or a potato masher, smash until rice looks like a chunky mash and grains stick together.
Step 3
Working one at a time, scoop about 3 Tbsp. rice into each muffin cup and, using an oiled spoon, press rice across bottom and all the way up the sides of each cup to create a hollowed-out shell. Bake until rice is darkened in color and sides of shells are crisped, 25–40 minutes. Let shells cool in pans, then, using an offset spatula, carefully transfer to a platter.
Step 4
Combine cherries and 2 cups cold water in a clean medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until soft and plump, 5–7 minutes. Drain and let cool.
Step 5
Transfer cherries to a blender and add 1 lb. strawberries; pulse until a chunky purée forms. Use filling immediately or transfer to an airtight container, cover, and chill until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 5 hours.
Step 6
To serve, fill each shell with about 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. filling. Top with a strawberry half and a leaf or 2 of mint.
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Reviews (9)
Back to TopInedible.
Gonzo Phillips
Austin, Texas
5/5/2021