Rice & Bean salad

[@PlantNative]

I’m gonna make this. My mouth is watering!

[@WhatVivididnext]

Yay! I love it....it's a staple for me in the hotter months. 😊

[@Leigh_Leigh]

Looks delish Vivi! Love new recipes...ill have to try it out. Worked in my yard and garden all day yesterday. At the end of the day I was tired but the good kind of tired. You know the kind of tired where youre happy that you've accomplished things but also the kind of tired you feel like when you could just cry...lol! Ended it with a nice bonfire and a good cup of coffee! ✌🏼️❤️& Happy Planting! 🌱🌱🌱

[@WhatVivididnext]

Oh, that sounds perfect! Celebrate the happy tired! :-)

[@Briardie]

I am writing this one down today. I love how versatile the recipe is, you can experiment in so many different ways. One thing I would add, because it is something I just adore, is herbs. Lots of herbs. Heck, even the humble dandelion leaf can add bite and get the gastric juices flowing and help the liver and bile, if we havent got any other green, cant it? Love you Vivi, you make my world so much better, for having your lovely videos to watch. Take care.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you so much lovely....and, yay to dandelion leaves! 😊

[@greenearthqueen]

That's one of my favourite too Vivi. I add home grown parsley and chives to mine.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Yum-licious!

[@donandtami]

Oh goodness this takes me back!! My Grandmother was vegetarian and made a salad almost exactly like this. She called it her "three bean salad" and it had red kidney beans, chick peas, steamed and chilled green beans (your dwarf french beans) with brown rice, onions, usually spring onions as well and the dressing was a plain oil and apple cider vinegar with a small dollop of brown mustard (sadly no garlic). My Aunt and Uncle (commune living hippies at the time) always would put the salad into a large cabbage leaf and fold it over and eat it like a taco. Goodness the memories this triggers!! Tami

[@WhatVivididnext]

Oh such lovely memories!!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing them. :-)

[@blueponyfarm3474]

Yum yum! We love a lemony dressing and usually shave some zest in as well.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Oh my goodness.....as soon as I read 'zest' I thought, for some reason, of lemon zesty shortbread.....and I salivated!!! Hmmmm......may just have to make some! 😉

[@bymyhandsworked]

It looks quite delicious--I bet when fresh herbs come in, they taste good in it too.

[@rinskeverberg]

Yesss...this with fresh parsley and/or coriander...hmmm!!

[@WhatVivididnext]

Absolutely! :-)

[@annecasillas5402]

Looks devine, thank you for sharing! Going to give it a go, maybe add some parsley and/or kale greens. Happy digging Vivi :)

[@WhatVivididnext]

Add the lot.....make it your own.......you'll love it! :-)

[@LindaPenney]

Lovely update Vivi thank you for sharing

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you. :-)

[@snowpony001]

Excellent video. Salad looks delicious. Especially with that dressing. Gave me a chuckle to think of you painstakingly separating the grains of rice so to more clearly show the different types🤣🤣. Seriously though, you have a real gift for demonstrating and explaining things. Hope you had an enjoyable and productive day at the kitchen garden 🥕🌱🌼

[@WhatVivididnext]

Hahahahahaha - it did take a few minutes!!! Happy kitchen time my friend. :-)

[@maudschoenaker5109]

Thanks for your great recipe. If you take the lemon rind first before you juice the lemon you'll have the best and healthiest addition! I am going to try your recipe tomorrow Vivi.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Cheers! It's one of my absolute favourites. :-)

[@GimmeADream]

I find you appear to be far more relaxed and content since you started your own channel. I'm going to have to re-watch you video and take notes on making you salad, so thank you for the recipe. I hope you do more of these recipe videos. I'm hopeless when it comes to soups, lol.

[@WhatVivididnext]

I hope to do loads more as the harvests come in........and other stuff besides. :-) Enjoy the scoff! :-)

[@annehughes9525]

You have spurred me on with your exitment to grow and dry my own beans next year, can't wait. Thank you Vivi, I'm also making this recipe , yum. X

[@WhatVivididnext]

Yay! That's great - good on ya! :-)

[@KellysKitchenGarden]

Just mooching through all your gorgeous recipes and I’ll definitely be making this Vivi! I’m salivating! (Along with your broad bean dip 😋😋) x

[@WhatVivididnext]

Yay! Cheers lovely......this is such a quick and easy one......it was always a firm favourite for a work lunch, tasty, filling, easy to digest.......kept me going through some very long shifts! ;-)

[@pollyclarke341]

Lovely recipe. Thanks for sharing. Im going to grow dwarf beans and already im looking forward to seeing the results. Hee heee

[@WhatVivididnext]

Happy growing/scoffing! :-)

[@myhillsidegarden3998]

Thank you for the great recipe. Hope to give it a try soon. Have a great day!

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you - you too. :-)

[@MsFavoria]

That sounds so good :) Id add a hand full of herbs....but thats just me....I think Im addicted having something green in every meal :)

[@WhatVivididnext]

Add anything you like! :-)

[@twinsane1998]

Hi Vivi. I've loved watching your allotment videos both on your own channel and Seans but I really enjoy watching what you do with your produce which is where I struggle. Thank you for doing these and explaining what you use your crops for :) Take care x

[@WhatVivididnext]

Oh, thank you for saying so. Hopefully, once the garden calms down, I can do more recipes. :-)

[@twinsane1998]

You're very welcome. Recipes would be great, I know how much you love cooking... haha I'm also looking forward to your tiy videos (sewing, homemade etc) - don't ask me to watch tennis though! lol

[@mandyofmarymac]

Vivi ~ I so forward to your video's....you make my day. Our snow is finally all gone, however, we have had surprise snowstorms in May :-(........Cross fingers, I'm itching to get my hands dirty! All the best!

[@WhatVivididnext]

Oh......I so hope the snow stays away for you now! Go get dirty! :-)

[@crumb9cheese]

Omg i love ur dishes. Sooo super pretty

[@WhatVivididnext]

I do love them.......some from my nan's house, some from other family members, some as second hand gifts......all a delight to use. :-)

[@princessperibanu380]

I throw Buckwheat in between my plants and harvest it for cereal and as a substitute for rice. It's easy to harvest and you can chop and drop it a couple times as a green manure mulch. Bees love it! I had to forego my red onions, sesame oil and black rice from the grocery list til better times... I do miss them...:(

[@WhatVivididnext]

Ooohhhh.......I shall have to look into buckwheat....thank you! :-)

[@evpalfy2464]

I love your salad. It will be my new favourite.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Cheers! :-)

[@ggwildlife]

loving this recipe vivi another one to give a go thank you :)

[@WhatVivididnext]

Yay!!! :-)

[@evpalfy2464]

I love your recipe and in mine I put a little bit of dried peppers and dried tomato which I reconstituted and I gave it a pretty red colour as well thank you you’re wonderful

[@WhatVivididnext]

Oh thank you Ev. :-)

[@Briardie]

Fantastic recommendation Ev, I never wouldve thought to use dried. Great tip. Thank you.

[@andrewpenwright888]

Hi Vivi,..I'm not a vegetarian but your bean and rice salad has me wanting to try some,looks yummy :-)

[@WhatVivididnext]

Yay! Give it a go. :-)

[@eveny119]

Interesting salad. I would have put some veggies in that. Like steamed broccoli/cauliflower, or Romaine, carrots, what about red cabbage..... If you want to stretch your walnut oil dilute with olive oil, same with rice, add some bulgur, barley or quinoa and cut down on the red and black rice. I just bought wild rice on line if you buy in bulk I found it saves a lot. As far as fresh garlic and onion in the spring, grow chives and garlic chives, not the same in a sauté but great in salads.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Add whatever tickles your fancy! Cheers. :-)

[@Pakovska]

Depending on where you go to France for your holiday, you can find inexpensive camarque rice! :) I make the same type of salad (with a big of tomato, pepper, parsley en some feta occasionally). :)

[@WhatVivididnext]

Oooh......good idea.......I'm heading to the south......perfect! :-)

[@mandyofmarymac]

Con't....and thank Sean for bringing you to us. :-)

[@WhatVivididnext]

Hahahah - will do. ;-)

[@MuddyBootz]

Looks a nice snack for the plot.😄. I've been given some black/white pea beans. Have you grown these before ?

[@WhatVivididnext]

Haven't grown them before but.....coincidentally.....I decided to give them a go this year. I haven't eaten them either so have no idea if I'll even like them.......! :-)

[@kirstensh187]

I have a tip for when you are planting garlic that may help to prevent the rot. When I'm planting my garlic cloves, I use a bulb planter and to each hole (I do them quite deep), I add a decent amount of sand, place the clove onto the bed of it, and then top with some more sand. After that I cover normally with soil. This gives it drainage and garlic hates sitting in wet soil. After that the care simple, leave it be, weed regularly (I use spent hops mulch to supress weeds) and water with comfrey/nettle feed during summer.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Oh that's a good idea - especially for my horrid clay soil.........thank you!!!!! :-)

[@kirstensh187]

No problem, really hope this helps! Keep the videos coming and look forward to seeing your progress through the growing season :)

[@DaisyDebs]

Thanks Vivi , Looks great and I will definately be trying this . Debbie :) x

[@WhatVivididnext]

Yay! It is so simple but so tasty.......I used to have it for my work lunches often.......good fueling without the afternoon 'carb slump'.... :-)

[@wildlifegardener-tracey6206]

Will definitely trying this Vivi 😋

[@WhatVivididnext]

Yay! So simple but so yummy....especially if you're eating on the run! :-)

[@Whistlewalk]

I use a lot of rice in lieu of flour based carbs in my diet, and for the same reasons you outline, I use brown basmati, and always try to get the Indian aged and/or fermented rice for the additional benefits. But because I like put as much nutrician as I can into my food as I can, I also put cumin powder, red pepper flakes, dill weed, sage. and the list goes into the rice to cook with it. You can get a lot of really interesting flavours and have to use quite a lot to overwhelm the nuttiness of the rice.

[@WhatVivididnext]

I absolutely love my rices. :-)

[@Ajsallotment]

great update I can't wait to do beans this year...quick question do you reuse your dried beans to sow as this year's seen ??

[@WhatVivididnext]

Yes.......I save some for sowing but most for eating......last year, when I had to sow for the 6th time (!), I had to use my eating stash. It's all the same. :-)

[@Ajsallotment]

I've already got slugs trying to infiltrate my greenhouse I'm not looking forward to the battle Beer traps at the ready

[@marbury678]

Great recipe I will try. Unfortunately I only have a small garden so can't grow so much to eat out of season and the light is limited in winter. I tend to buy all my veg,garlic etc from Lidl and Aldi as so cheap and surprisingly good quality, some organic. One question though, do you get complaints of garlicky breath from anyone ? Doesn't bother me so much as I work from home alone. It's fantastic for you though.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Hahahaha - good question! If I have it for work lunch I chew fennel seeds afterwards to 'freshen' my breath! ;-)

[@marbury678]

Good tip. I hear parsley is good too.

[@JasonSmith-tv2zw]

Hi Vivi I just freeze my Borlotti beans and they come alive straight away, rather than dry/re-hydrate etc

[@WhatVivididnext]

I don't have the freezer space.......seriously thinking of investing in another one............but I am also keen to store without the use of electricity......dilema! ;-)

[@MsSarah999]

Have you thought about eating stuff that you wouldn't usually - for example, I'm currently eating a warm chickpea salad with carrot tops! First time I'm eating carrot tops! :)

[@WhatVivididnext]

I'm always experimenting! ;-)

[@djf8619]

Do you think that raising garlic in a small raised bed would work? Your salad looks really good. I think I will try it.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Absolutely. :-)

[@Jedidragoon]

Are you going to grow herbs this year like basil?

[@WhatVivididnext]

If I can find the space.......more likely a windowsill at home......

[@catherinemosey4255]

Being a person living on a small income I buy my rice, spices and sometimes other bits from a local Asian supermarket, you can get a bargain if you hold your breath and avert your eyes away from the halal butcher's counter. I think I paid £7.99 for a sack of basmati rice which has lasted about a year for two of us who love curries.

[@WhatVivididnext]

I'm really lucky to have a fabulous Mediterranean market just yards from my front door where I can get all my extra bits from. I love shopping there because it makes me feel like I'm on holiday in the Balkans...... :-)

[@notforprofittho]

Serious question. Does the UK not have bulk grocery shops like Costco here in the US? Because if you have these items that you use and enjoy, could you not stuck up on them in larger quantities as an investment (although bulk shopping is cheaper in the long-run). And then you have that item throughout the year similar to how you do veggies. Like one time I bought enough almond butter at a bulk food shop that literally lasted me a full 9 months lol

[@WhatVivididnext]

We probably do have these sort of places but I haven't used them.......I guess part of the problem for me would be carrying the bulk home!!! Having said that I think I will stock up on a few things like oil, rice and lentils. Cheers. :-)

[@hyacinth673]

Hi vivi do you do your own skincare could you do a video on that please

[@WhatVivididnext]

Will do as the year progresses..... :-)

[@fsgromad]

Vivi, do you have asian markets close to you.I find that my rice is cheaper there than at regular markets here in New York.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Not Asian.....but I do have a Mediterranean market where I can buy in big sacks fairly cheaply. :-)

[@mariecurrie7657]

fsgromad the sesame oil will be a lot cheaper too. Get down to Chinatown Vivi! Leicester Square tube. 🚈

[@fsgromad]

I think prices are cheaper at the Asian market (especially Korean) than Mediterranean. I find the sesame oils and rices are a better quality. You can even order it online. Many of the products I get at my Korean market are organic, since the farms are small compared to other countries they protect their land and what they produce. if can head to Leicester Square tube and please do a video, I would definitely watch.

[@michelepaccione8806]

Asian markets are the bomb. So much more variety in the produce department, too. And I love Japanese desserts. I miss the Manhattan Asian markets.

[@fsgromad]

I love the asian pears and the variety of mushrooms. My husband groans when I go into "the city" (that's NYC)I hit asian, jamaican, italian, and jewish markets every 4 to 6 months to stock-up on the good stuff.

[@NickSBailey]

My garlic rotted the last season and I was disappointed because the top growth looked very healthy and I was expecting it to be a good crop. This season I've grown it on a ridge of soil in the hope it'll improve the drainage on our heavy clay, again the top growth looks healthy so far but I know now know that doesn't necessarily mean things underground are looking quite so good, we'll see, fingers crossed.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Ditto here......everything firmly crossed!

[@josephmulpeter63]

that looks lovely! Vivi do you ever have problems with Rusty using your plot as a toilet? my neighbour recently got a cat and it keeps using the patch of dirt in my garden as a toilet, i'm planning on growing on it this year as well :( how do you keep the cats away from your allotment?

[@josephmulpeter63]

thank you so much! i'm going to give this a try!! I have a dog so i thought if i let my dog out near where i am growing then the cat wont go near, but that didn't work. It's really frustrating having neighbours cats using your garden as a toilet, especially when you don't own a cat yourself. :)

[@WhatVivididnext]

Yes......the cats are a nightmare.......hence my covering of any freshly tilled soil.........but I'll give Gabriella's idea a go this year! Btw......I, too, thought having my dog on site would make a difference......nada!

[@erikakleynhans2361]

Joseph Mulpeter get rid of any droppings in the soil, and water the area well to get rid of any scent left behind, and then if you have rose prunings, particularly the most prickly ones, lay that over the area, it helps to discourage them. You could also use holly. Burying citrus peels I've also heard discourages dogs from digging, and this may also work for foxes.

[@jackicomber8534]

make your own flavored oils helps cut cost

[@WhatVivididnext]

Good idea!

[@evpalfy2464]

You can google welchs grape juice wine for a cheap lovely wine no equipment

[@WhatVivididnext]

:-)

[@erikakleynhans2361]

Quick question on growing kidney beans for drying. Mine seem to stop producing if i don't pick, and I don't seem to get many pods per plant. You say to leave them to dry, so I assume your beans are just happier. How many plants do you grow to supply enough for drying to last you the year? We eat quite a lot of beans, which here in SA is readily available pre cooked in tins, but I love growing and harvesting and cooking the dry beans. But my harvest was miserable ( I put in 12 plants - they're a bush variety) and all I have to show for it is maybe a 1/3 cup dry beans😔

[@michelepaccione8806]

I have no idea how many plants Vivi puts in, but runner beans are much more prolific and produce many more beans than bush beans. I grow both, and you only get a few pods on the bush beans but many pods on the runners. I have to plant dozens and dozens of bush beans (I plant in succession all summer) to get any decent harvest, and even then I only get a couple of small jars of beans from them.

[@2redbird1]

Whoops A Daisy I have the same problem & buying them in bulk is expensive. They must not produce well or have to stay on the plant get to size. I'm going to try something this year. I'm planting about 100 seeds & I'm going to pick as they get to size then put them in my dehydrator. If that doesn't improve my crop yield I'll just have to buy the bulk price. I keep a lot of bulk beans & the kidney & lentils are the most expensive.

[@WhatVivididnext]

I grow quite a lot! About 50 bush beans last year.....but that will double this year. As Michele has said the climbing beans produce much more so they're my main focus.......I'll have anywhere between 60 and 100 plants depending on slugs (!).........the bush beans are mainly grown for eating green through the summer and autumn and the climbers tend to grown for drying. I din't weigh the final harvest but I had jars and jars and jars of them......enough to see me through until this summer. :-)

[@letitsnow4822]

Question for you: What day/days of the week are there the most people out tending to the allotment, in your experience? Also, what days do you tend to your allotment? I ask for a reason, please humor me with an answer. I have an idea for you, but your answer depends on wether it could benefit you... on your new adventure.... ohhh, looks yummy by the way

[@WhatVivididnext]

Curious. Mostly it's busy at the weekend....as you might expect. I have, until now, gardened any day that I'm off work....which is mostly during the week.....but I'll have more flexibility now. :-)

[@letitsnow4822]

thanks for your reply...... sending you a message next

[@elaineholden1988]

Don't you ever swap your glut produce that way you would have a good supply of everything? ☺

[@WhatVivididnext]

I don't really have gluts as such......most of what I grow I grow to eat fresh and for storage......so any glut keeps me going for the year, if that makes sense.... :-)

[@glambycheryl212]

Hi Vi can you leave your recipes in info box underneath please? Sou ds delish

[@WhatVivididnext]

I'll try to remember! :-)