After all that work, it’s time for the reward. The view that unfolds on the horizon is at last revealed, and this colourful salad makes for a well-deserved feast. Fresh, nutritious and packed with flavour, it’s best enjoyed at the peak, with the sun warming your face. The perfect blend of oat rice and homemade pesto is a reminder of why you climbed all the way to the top.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Rice cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

Base:

1 cup oat rice (whole oats) from Les Belles récoltes de Charlevoix
2 cups water

Homemade pesto:

2 cups fresh basil and 1 cup fresh parsley from Jardins du Centre
½ cup cashews
½ cup parmesan cheese or Hercule de Charlevoix from Laiterie Charlevoix
½ cup olive oil from Al Dente
Juice from half a lemon
1 clove of garlic, sliced
Pepper to taste

Garnish:

Cherry tomatoes, halved
Whole black olives from Al Dente
Feta cheese, diced or crumbled
Cucumber, diced, from Jardins du Centre
Pepper to taste

Steps

Pour the water and oat rice into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until tender. Add a little water, if necessary.
Drain, rinse with cold water and leave to cool.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the pesto. Coarsely chop the basil and parsley, then mix with the other ingredients. Puree in a food processor or blender.
In a large bowl, combine the cooled rice, pesto, tomatoes, cucumber, olives and feta. Add pepper to taste and mix well.

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