Probably not the best time to post about food...

...but an online recipe got me thinking about wild rice, which is a delicious native grain (and is not actually rice).  Yum and yum!

The important point to note when buying wild rice is whether or not it was harvested by hand.  Wild rice is a sacred food to the Ojibwa and other First Nations, and there are laws in Wisconsin & Minnesota, where much wild rice grows, that prohibit mechanical harvesting of wild rice.  This not only ensures the propagation of this water grass, but also respects the First Nations claims, which we are all about supporting.

Fortunately there are some companies (like Eden), which do support tribal communities. It is true that this wild rice is more expensive, but the cost is well worth the quality and the social justice. Yum!


Our favorite recipe is a knock-off of one shared by a friend from the Lac du Flambeau Nation. Originally, it uses venison, but we can’t really get much of that here in the city, so we’ve substituted ground bison. Beef works well, too. I usually just throw all the bits in, so it’s really a very easy recipe, but I’ve spelled it out here, so it’s more recipe-ish:

Bison & Wild Rice Soup

3 T olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 lb. ground bison (or venison! or beef)
1 cup wild rice
Several cups of water
1 bunch curly kale (or really any other green), stems removed & leaves chopped
Sea Salt to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium-high in a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot. Add the onions and saute until translucent.

Add the ground meat and some salt (about 1 T) and stir until it is well broken-up. Cook until it is browned.

Add the rice and water – basically, you will want to make sure the rice is covered with the water, and then some. One the water boils, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer.

Check periodically to make sure you have enough water.

We let it cook for about 30 minutes, but sometimes it may take longer. Five to ten minutes before removing from heat, add the chopped kale.

Add more salt & pepper to taste. Yum!