Serve Mary's rice with some mesquite-grilled chicken or spicy barbecue ribs, baked pinto beans and cornbread. While you're eating, stare out the window at a cottonwood or a spruce or an ash or whatever type of tree happens to be growing nearby and imagine it's a saguaro cactus. OK, that's long enough. This dish makes a nice accompaniment for barbecued chicken or pork. Wild rice was a staple in the diet of Chippewa and Sioux Indians.
Wild rice grows best in cold water of sufficient depth.
Wild rice also is grown on a larger scale in rice paddies and harvested with special combines. Here's a nutritious recipe with a different twist. A serving of Gingered Rice and Beans contains about 155 calories, 3.5 grams of fat and 3.7 grams of dietary fiber. Add one cup rice to three cups boiling water, chicken or beef broth, return the water to a boil and stir. Simmer 45 to 60 minutes or until kernels puff open and the inside lighter part is exposed.