Harvest Rice with Apples and Pecans #SundaySupper

by Anne Papina on September 23, 2012

Harvest Rice w/Apples and Pecans | Webicurean

This weekend marks fall’s official kickoff, but unofficially, over the last two weeks, that cold bite has been here every morning, urging me to remain tucked within the snuggly folds of a warm bed. Oddly enough, San Francisco doesn’t have “seasons” in the traditional sense. In fact, if anything, fall is usually our summer, or as we call it, Indian Summer, but this September there’s definitely a nip in the air. Despite the chilliness today, the next few weeks are likely to bring us some scorchers. Of course, the weather hardly matters here as we roll into my favorite time of year. To celebrate the arrival of fall, the #SundaySupper crew is hosting an Autumn Apple Party, so in addition to my Harvest Rice, you’ll find links to a bushelful of apple recipes below.

Did you know, apples were one of the first cultivated fruits and that there are more than 7,500 named varieties? Pass me a Pink Lady, please! For most varieties, the apples are harvested between August and October, so in many areas, as the apple selection ramps up at the market, we know fall is upon us. Of course, for those of us on the Left Coast, produce (and weather) doesn’t necessarily follow seasons, so here fall is more a state of mind. At least for me.

In poetry, Autumn is expressed as a time of melancholy–the fun-filled days of summer are gone, the cold of winter is on the horizon. There may be some truth in that, but around here, fall, and as we head into winter, is filled with fond memories of family gatherings, the warmth of a bustling kitchen, the aroma of nutmeg and cinnamon wafting through the house, the sounds of football blaring from the TV in the background. I once flew clear across the country to experience the brilliant imagery associated with fall, which was impressive, but couldn’t match the cherished Autumn memories of the place I call home.

fall in bangor

Weather aside, this Harvest Rice recipe just feels like fall and is the result of making do with ingredients on hand one fall afternoon. My niece, Jen, was visiting for dinner, and as I was throwing this together, she wondered how I knew it would ultimately work out. I didn’t really, but sometimes cooking is about taking chances. Neither of us remember the main course that day–the rice was hands-down the star of that dinner. Nowadays, I think she’s become the better cook, and I’d like to think that I had a hand in that, possibly stemming from that fall afternoon in the kitchen.

Fortunately the combination in this dish wasn’t a big stretch for the imagination–the slightly sweet/tart bite of the apple and the buttery crunch of the pecans blend in perfect harmony with the rice. It can be served warm, as a side with pork or chicken, but it’s also good chilled as a salad. Either way, it’ll be love at first bite. So, let’s dig in.

ingredients for harvest rice

We need but a few ingredients… gather them now! I used a Granny Smith apple for this recipe, but you’re welcome to try something sweeter if that’s your preference. Also, rather than chopping up the pecans, I started with a bag of bits & pieces. I know, it’s a cheat, but they’re actually a little less $$ and save the extra step of chopping.

rice pot on stove

First, let’s get the chicken broth going. You’ll want to bring this to a boil before adding the rice, then cover and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the rice is done.

pecans toasting in butter

While the rice is cooking, let’s work on the other ingredients. We can start by melting the butter in a non-stick skillet and toasting up those lovely pecan bits. Once the pecans are golden brown, remove from the pan and set aside.

apples and onions chopped

Meanwhile, chop up the onion and the apple.

apple and onion saute

There should still be some butter in the pan you used for the pecans–add the olive oil to that pan, then sauté the onions and apple until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle the nutmeg on here, as well as salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.

Harvest Rice w/Apples and Pecans | Webicurean

When the rice is done, toss in the apple mixture and pecans… then promptly serve yourself a generous portion… enjoy!

4.8 from 6 reviews
Harvest Rice with Apples and Pecans
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Harvest Rice is reminiscent of fall, with a mixture of brown and wild rice, tossed with tart apples and buttery toasted pecans.
Author:
Recipe type: Side
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • ⅛ cup wild rice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • ½ cup roughly chopped pecans
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped apple
  • ⅛ tsp nutmeg
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add rice and salt and simmer for 40-45 minutes, or until done.
  2. In a non-stick skillet, melt the butter, then sauté the pecans in the butter until the pecans are golden brown. Remove pecans from the pan and set aside.
  3. In the same pan, add the olive oil, and sauté the chopped onion and apple until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
  4. When the rice is done, stir in the apple/onion mixture as well as the pecans.

 

Join us this week Around the Family Table for Sunday Supper.   We have over 50 amazing recipes using apples to share with you.  Do you have some favorite Autumn Apple Recipes to share?  We would love for you to share your favorite apple recipes during our #SundaySupper live chat at 7pm (Eastern).

Soups, Salads, Starters and Breads

Main Meals

Sides

Desserts

Beverages

Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm (Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite apple recipes! All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat! We’d also love to feature your apple recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers!

{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }

baker street September 23, 2012 at 3:19 am

The pecans being sautéed in butter alone sounds heavenly! I’m sure your dish had great flavor and was absolutely delicious! 🙂

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Laura Hunter September 23, 2012 at 4:36 am

You are right cooking is all about taking chances, that is one of the things I love about it. Yes things don’t always turn out but you can discover the most amazing new things when you try. And your rice looks so scrumptious.

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Katie September 23, 2012 at 6:28 am

Yum! I know the recipe I made this week sounds somewhat similar to yours, but I think the pecans sauteed in butter in yours sounds amazing! I bet that really makes the kitchen smell fabulous…

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Jennie @themessybakerblog September 23, 2012 at 6:55 am

Wow! This dish looks so good. I love sleeping with the windows open in the fall under a snuggly blanket. Happy #SS!

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Crazy Kwistin September 23, 2012 at 7:00 am

Wow what a beautiful dish!!! Your photos are always so amazing! Love this recipe, adding it to my list.

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Jen @JuanitasCocina September 23, 2012 at 7:12 am

Pinned…because I need to make this now!!!

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diabeticFoodie September 23, 2012 at 7:20 am

This is my kind of side dish. Yum! Kudos for being such a great aunt and encouraging your niece in the kitchen.

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Paula @ Vintage Kitchen September 23, 2012 at 7:37 am

I saw the first pic and ran to the kitchen to see if I had pecans and rice. I´m so having this in a few hours for lunch! Love this recipe! Have a great sunday Anne!

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Wendy (The Weekend Gourmet) September 23, 2012 at 7:41 am

Wow…this looks SO GOOD! I made a fall fruited rice with pomegranate arils, nuts, and apples a couple of years ago…and I LOVED the sweet crunch of the apple in the rice. Saving this one…perfect with a roasted pork tenderloin.

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Patti September 23, 2012 at 7:54 am

Whoa! You had me with those pecans in butter! Great dish!

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Bea September 23, 2012 at 9:24 am

This looks so good!!!

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Renee September 23, 2012 at 9:50 am

What a colorful rice dish. I love pecans and any excuse to add them to a dish is good for me. I can see this as a great side to go along with pork.

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Cindys Recipes September 23, 2012 at 10:13 am

Sounds wondeful Anne! Thanks for this yummy side dish for our Apple Party!

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Tora Estep September 23, 2012 at 10:15 am

Lovely fall photo! The recipe sounds like a wonderful accompaniment. I especially like the look of the pecans.

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Chelsea September 23, 2012 at 11:04 am

I usually have this strange opposition to eating rice, but this looks amazing! I will have to try it!

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patsy September 23, 2012 at 12:09 pm

As soon as I saw that this could be served as a side dish OR as a cold salad… I was in love! I am always looking for dishes like this that I can take to work for lunch since I pull leftovers for my lunch just about every day!

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megan @Irun4wine September 23, 2012 at 1:54 pm

This looks really good! Perfect side dish for Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing!

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Conni @MrsMamaHen September 23, 2012 at 2:23 pm

This looks so good!! I love rice with apple & pecan. Great dish!

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Tara Noland September 23, 2012 at 4:47 pm

This looks so good I am going to have to try it. Hubby is away this week but it’s going to be on the menu soon!!

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Nicole @ The Daily Dish September 23, 2012 at 5:06 pm

Yum! This sounds fantastic!!

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Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts September 23, 2012 at 5:52 pm

What a great side dish. The apples and the onions, and the pecans all together just sounds incredible!

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Kim Bee September 23, 2012 at 5:52 pm

This is a great rice recipe. Looks so satisfying and yummy.

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Susan September 23, 2012 at 5:54 pm

Lovely recipe, I’m a big Granny Smith fan, I just love their crisp tart taste and I bet it was great in the rice.

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Chris Baccus September 23, 2012 at 6:43 pm

Love new ways to use rice. Thanks for sharing.

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Faye Leong September 24, 2012 at 5:25 am

A creative way of cooking rice! Yummy! Thanks for sharing such a beautiful scenery picture of Fall…love it!

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Soni September 24, 2012 at 5:36 am

Such a great way of using apples!I’ve never made rice with apples before and this surely is a must try :)Love it!

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Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom September 24, 2012 at 1:26 pm

This rice looks so gorgeous! I love it! seriously, it’s so pretty! I am definitely going to try this recipe, thank you!

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Sarah September 24, 2012 at 1:28 pm

Brown and wild rice with ANYTHING is a winner here! We’d have to leave out the nuts because of allergies but sunflower seeds would be divine too!

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Liz September 24, 2012 at 5:11 pm

Oh, this looks splendid! One of my friends saw your link on my blog and made this tonight….she is singing your praises!!!! Great #SS post 🙂

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Anne @ Webicurean September 24, 2012 at 5:50 pm

That so awesome! Thanks for letting me know!

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Nancy @ gottagetbaked September 24, 2012 at 6:36 pm

The beauty about cooking is how you can experiment and not worry about exact measurements. Look at the amazing recipes you come up with when you just use your instincts! This rice sounds delicious – it’d be great as a stuffing too, I bet!

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Arlene @FlourOnMyFace September 24, 2012 at 7:25 pm

Oh my that looks so good.

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Sunithi September 25, 2012 at 7:53 am

This is sooo good ! Love this flavorful, rich healthy rice. Great pics too. Will be making this soon ! Thanks for sharing ! Yummmm

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Sarah September 25, 2012 at 8:22 am

I love rice so much. I can eat the whole pan without any protein. Thanks for sharing this wonderful version. I will serve myself a generous portion indeed.

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Hezzi-D September 25, 2012 at 4:10 pm

This looks like a great side dish. We love rice!

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Lyn @LovelyPantry September 26, 2012 at 1:24 pm

What a beautiful and interesting combination of flavours! This one is a keeper!

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Brandie (@ Home Cooking Memories) September 26, 2012 at 3:13 pm

Can’t wait to try this and I think a swap of the chicken broth with a vegetable broth will make this a great side dish for my vegetarian friends. And I agree..perfect for fall.

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Angie @ Big Bear's Wife October 3, 2012 at 7:44 am

I love rice dishes! This looks so good!

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Tara Noland November 19, 2012 at 6:06 pm

Okay, just made this again and love it!!!

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Anne Papina November 26, 2012 at 9:45 am

That’s what I like to hear! 🙂

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healthy recipes February 17, 2018 at 8:08 am

Sounds delicious. Perfect for rice lovers like me.

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Anne Papina February 18, 2018 at 12:15 pm

Thanks! This is a good one!

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Linda December 28, 2018 at 1:58 pm

Oh my…the best recipe I have come across in a very long time….DELICIOUS

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Anne Papina December 30, 2018 at 6:11 pm

So glad you like it!

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