Rice makes the perfect base for spring’s bounty of produce

As we approach the growing season and the kaleidoscope of fresh produce it brings, this is a good time to discuss rice, the ultimate blank slate of cooking. I say this because rice is more likely to be compatible with whatever’s in the garden, CSA box or that cloth bag you brought home from the farmers market than any other carb. A pasta meal, by contrast, will typically have a narrower list of possible ingredients, such as tomatoes, garlic and basil. But carrots, squash, corn, peas … not so much. With an entire growing season of diversity ahead of us, flexibility will be key to consuming as much earthly bounty as possible, and rice is more flexible than most yoga instructors.

When it comes to cooking rice, I consider myself something of a less muscular version of John Henry, the fabled steel-driving man who could out-pound a machine. I may be nothing special with a sledgehammer, but I can cook rice better than any rice cooker. I don’t even measure the amounts of rice or water I add to the pot. I just pour the rice from a 25-pound sack until it looks like enough, then stick my finger in it.

My rice finger compares the relative depths of the rice and water and notifies me if I need to add more water or pour some off. I realize that you, dear reader, might need a bit more to work with than simply “stick your finger in the rice pot and listen to what your finger reports.” Alas, I’ve been doing this for so long that I didn’t really know what my finger was sensing, so I grabbed a tape measure and reverse-engineered my technique in order to be able to translate it into English.

But first, a few words about rice varieties. There’s a bewildering number of them, with different flavors, textures, colors and cooking needs. The beauty of my technique is it works with any rice, even if you don’t know what kind it is. Jasmine is my favorite rice. It has a mesmerizing fragrance that fills the house as it cooks. I also like basmati, the flavor of which is a bit more nutty and less floral but just as intoxicating. Supposedly, brown rice is healthier, but I prefer the flavor and texture of white rice. The only problem is that my preferred types of white rice are coated in a starchy powder. I rinse the starch off so the rice will be fluffier and less sticky.

As you read the following instructions, they may strike you as more complicated than just measuring out your rice and water. That might be an easier way to make one meal, but the finger technique will save you time and guesswork when making future rice-based meals. If you hang in there and push through the learning curve, you’ll come out the other side as a rice master.

Add around 2 or 3 cups of rice to a small pot with a tight-fitting lid, preferably a glass lid so you can monitor progress. Fill the pot the rest of the way with water and stir. If the water turns cloudy, you’ve got starch. Dump the cloudy water and add more, stirring again. Repeat this process until the water stays clear. Then stick your finger in it. According to my tape measure, the water’s depth should exceed the rice level by about three-quarters of an inch.

Put the lid on and turn the heat to high. When it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium. After about 10 minutes, the water will drop below the rice level, and the rice will puff up and begin to look done. At this point, remove the lid and pluck a grain from the top.

If the grain is done, simply replace the lid, turn off the heat and let the rice peacefully come in for a landing.

If it’s just a little crunchy, stick a spoon straight down and gently create a gap so you can see how much water is left. If it’s almost gone, add just a little more, like a half cup, and turn off the heat. The rice will still be plenty hot enough to absorb that water and finish cooking.

If it’s very crunchy, add maybe a cup of water, replace the lid and cook for a few more minutes on low. I’m being vague on the quantities because I have no way of knowing what you’ll see in front of you. But the more you do this, the easier it will be to taste the rice, look in the pot and decide how much water to add. Whatever you do, don’t let it run out of water while the heat is on or the rice will burn.

A perfectly cooked batch of rice needs little else. A dash of seaweed sprinkles or a splash of soy sauce will make a simple but satisfying meal. Or serve it alongside the cooked veggies of your choice. Or make a little sauce. I’m going to give you a recipe for a shoulder season stir fry.

Although spring is here, we remain on a winter diet because it’s still too early for new growth. If we’re eating locally, then we’re still in the root cellar period dominated by storage crops like carrots, onions, garlic and squash.

I’m leaving this recipe loose because I don’t want to micromanage. As with the rice cooking, my goal here is to set you free, not boss you around. I don’t want to send you to the store. Rather, I want you to be able to create a rice-based meal with whatever you happen to have on hand. This will help build the flexibility to make new dishes as the season evolves from radishes to peas to zucchini, corn, peppers, tomatoes and so on.

Since the squash harvested last fall is still readily available, I decided to serve my rice with a carnival squash, which is basically a delicata squash that’s shaped like an acorn squash. I like delicata and carnival squashes because they’re easy to pan fry. The thin skin is edible, so you don’t need to peel it. The small seeds get crispy in the pan, adding texture to the dish.

Pan-fried squash

chunks over rice

Makes two servings

Ingredients:

• 1-pound carnival or delicata squash
• 3 tablespoons of your choice of fat: I like olive oil, butter, bacon or sesame oil, or a combination of any of these
• 1/4 medium onion, minced
• One clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce. If you don’t have it, use fish sauce or soy sauce
• Juice of 1/4 lemon or a tablespoon of rice wine
• White pepper if you have it.
• Otherwise, black pepper

Procedure:

Cut the squash into half-inch slices. Lay the slices on a cutting board and chop them into chunks.

Place a heavy-bottomed pan on a burner set to medium heat. Add the oil and squash, including the skin and seeds, and fry until the seeds begin to pop.

Add the onion and cook until it becomes translucent.

Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice or cooking wine.

Add the garlic, stir it around, and as soon as you smell the magical aroma of garlic cooking, add the oyster sauce and ground white or black pepper.

Stir it all together and serve with you know what. (Hint: it rhymes with “nice.”)