Free Massa Organics Giveaway. Holla!
May 20th, 2009
My earliest memories of brown rice are from my mom’s kitchen, served as a healthier alternative to white rice. She said she LIKED it better. I didn’t believe her. All I wanted was Rice-a-Roni the San Francisco treat I saw advertised on TV with that cute little jingle!
But brown rice it was.
Most people don’t have particularly gourmet ideas surrounding the humble whole grains of brown rice. But I’m going to change that for you today! Oh heck yes I am. Not just with some outstanding recipes, but with a review of the finest brown rice you could be lucky enough to taste. And not just one of you, but FOUR of you are going to win a bag of this fantastic organic product. At the end of this post I’ll tell you how.
Excited yet?
I ran into Greg Massa on Twitter. One of my foodie friends (looking at you, Heidi Robb) mentioned the company and I had to see what it was all about. Here’s the coolest thing about Greg Massa and his wife Raquel: they are biologists turned farmers who Twitter and keep a blog! That’s my kind of farmer! Just kidding, all organic farmers are my kind of farmer but I have a harder time meeting or having a conversation with them from my urban dwelling.
So, onto the rice.
This is good stuff, folks. It’s been written up in Saveur Magazine and a whole boatload of newspapers in California. Here’s why: it’s delicious. And the sustainable farming practices in place at Massa are equally as appealing.
Massa Organics has a hard rule against genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and does everything possible to positively impact the air, water and soil. They capture and recirculate the irrigation water and instead of burning crop residue built their own house out of rice straw. These folks are the real deal! So let’s applaud Greg and Raquel for doing the right thing – which we can assume may not always be the easiest thing!
When I was barely old enough to hold a pencil my mom would give me one and let me draw endlessly on a pad of paper. Such a simple thing held so much wonder, so much potential for creativity and expression. I felt much the same way when Greg Massa offered to send me a sample of his brown rice! It’s is the perfect food to create so many meals around. I could eat it every day and never run out of awesome recipes to try.
Why not start your week with a big pot of brown rice? Soak it for at least a few hours or overnight. This technique makes any whole grain easier to digest and gets rid of phytic acid, which can prevent mineral absorption in your body. Simply soak in a bowl of water with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar, then drain and add fresh water to cook. I love this cooking method, which treats rice more like pasta.
Then, serve it differently every day for a time-saving menu plan. Here are some recipes I enjoyed with Massa rice, and at the end of this post is your chance to win your own bag of Massa Organics brown rice.
Brown Rice Fritters
These are easy as pie, just mix rice with egg, fresh oregano and a few other things and fry ‘em up! Totally delicious. Serve with mixed greens for an easy meal. Since this recipe came from Saveur, go check it out there!
Veggie Fried Rice
1 Tbl. organic butter
1 onion, peeled and diced
4 scallions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
(Other veggies to add: brocolli, peppers, sliced cabbage or bok choy, bean sprouts or whatever you have on hand)
4 cups cold cooked rice
2 eggs, whisked
2 Tbl. soy sauce
1 Tbl. mirin
This recipe cooks up fast so have all your vegetables washed and prepared ahead of time. Heat butter in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Whisk mirin into eggs and pour into wok. Scramble until cooked but still loose. Add onions and any other raw veggies that need time to cook. Keep mixing for about 5 minutes as veggies soften and onions brown. Add cooked rice and veggies you want to keep crisp like bean sprouts. Continue to stirfry. When heated through, add soy sauce and serve.
Brown Rice Pudding
3 cups leftover brown rice
1 can organic coconut milk (or milk, soymilk, almond milk, etc.)
1/2 cup raisins
4 Tbl. maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 Tbl. dried coconut
2 Tbl. tahini
Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir over heat until most of the liquid is absorbed and everything is well mixed and warm.
So, do you want to win a free bag of Massa Organics rice? Leave a comment below this post for your entry! For extra chances to win you can do the following:
1. Sign up for my RSS feed
2. Sign up for my newsletter
3. Follow me @MPfennighaus on Twitter and retweet this post
4. Follow Greg Massa @MassaOrganics on Twitter and retweet this post
5. Stumble this post
Let me know in the comments how many entries you’re completing. Contest closes on June 4th at 8am EST. Winners must provide a US address to receive their rice!
This post is part of Cheeseslave’s Real Food Wednesday Blog Carnival!
I am a brown rice FEIND and I really do love it more. I would love to try this brand out.
May 20th, 2009 at 1:31 pmMy dad gave me several bags of brown rice and a bag of wheat berries from Massa Organics, and they’re amazing!! I love the idea of the brown rice fritters, too!
May 20th, 2009 at 1:35 pmI would love to try this rice! The recipes look great. I’m also use your RSS feed in my reader. Thanks.
May 20th, 2009 at 1:38 pmSounds like a cool company. I’m headed to check them out right now and tweet about it. I love those rice fritters!
May 20th, 2009 at 1:56 pmyum those brown rice fritters are calling my name!
May 20th, 2009 at 2:01 pmJust wait ’til you get started on their organic crunchy almond butter…do it.
May 20th, 2009 at 2:07 pmthanks for putting all these tasty brown rice recipes together! i think putting tahini in the pudding is a very interesting addition.
i like mine with grilled vegtables or green curry!
May 20th, 2009 at 2:28 pmThose recipes sound so good, I can’t wait to try them out!
May 20th, 2009 at 2:36 pmWow, the rice pudding looks great! I’m totally going to make it.
I’m also subscribed via RSS and email for 2 more entries!
May 20th, 2009 at 3:19 pmWe’re having fried rice using brown rice tonight for dinner. But I’m definitely putting the rice fritters on the menu for next week!
May 20th, 2009 at 3:31 pmHey Michelle – great site! I haven’t had a chance to try out your recipes yet, but looking forward to trying the rice pudding and fried rice – with or without the free Massa Organics rice. I signed up for your newsletter too!
May 20th, 2009 at 3:39 pmMmm… I see that the brown rice fritters have captured everyone’s interest, and boy do they look great! Can’t wait to try them, and I would love a bag of the rice. Thanks!
Jen
May 20th, 2009 at 7:35 pmHey-cool recipes!
May 20th, 2009 at 9:35 pmOooh, those fritters look amazing. I make something similar with quinoa and pine nuts. I’d love to try a bag of rice. Here’s hoping!
May 21st, 2009 at 12:10 am@Amy – another rice lover in the house! fingers crossed for a free bag!
@Katie – your dad sounds like a good man.
@Stephanie – thanks for your entries!
@Lori – very cool company. i wish i lived in CA sometimes…
@Jackie – thanks for commenting, nice to see you here
@Heidi Robb – yeah! maybe next time it’ll be an almond butter giveaway! mmmmm
@michaela – the tahini IS very interesting. it’s delicious!
@Sara – thanks for commenting! hope you get to try ‘em out soon.
@Stacy – wow, thanks lady! lotsa entries!
@Mary Ellen – isn’t fried rice the greatest secret? so easy and delicious.
@Joanna – cool! hey, and everyone congratulate Joanna – she’s expecting a little one
@Jen – Those fritter rock the party that rocks the party, I tell ya.
@Sweta – thanks Sweta!
@Kira – mmmmm quinoa and pine nuts. Fritters of any sort are usually a big hit with me and my husband.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:19 amMassa sounds right up my alley! The recipes look delish, too! And I just RT’d.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:14 ammmm…those fritters sound so good! I hope I win!
May 21st, 2009 at 10:22 amHey Gal,
May 21st, 2009 at 10:33 amMassa rocks! I first tried their rice at Slow Food Nation last summer and have been a regular addict ever since. I love that you went to town with recipes…must try their brown rice peach crisp when they come into season. And while you don’t have to live in California to get it, I must say, life is delicious here;-)
I am signed up for your newsletter, plus Tweet you and Greg.
Sidebar – many of your comments on my site have gone to junk mail. I’ve tried to fix it but just thought I’d let you know.
Okay, even if I don’t win, I’ll have to try it. But it would be sooooo much nicer if I win.
Can I bribe you with naturally grown garlic (no artificial or chemical anything used in it’s growth) ?
Waiting patiently,
May 21st, 2009 at 11:01 amMike aka Garlic Man
Jack County Gourmet Garlic
Jacksboro and Plano, TX
WOW- this sounds like a great product!! I want to try the fritters and the pudding…like right now! Pick me pick me!
Thank you for the info on the Institute for Integrative Nutrition- I am going to look into this
May 21st, 2009 at 11:53 amThis is great info and I am in CA, so win win for me! GREG
May 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pmThose brown rice fritters look absolutel divine!! I wish I had one right now!
May 21st, 2009 at 1:55 pmWowza – a house out of rice straw! Now that is hardcore and totally cool! Good for them! And yes Michelle, I am a Martha-aholic. Just watch this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2MFsl8axU0) and you will understand.
May 21st, 2009 at 2:29 pmP.S. What is Holla?
May 21st, 2009 at 3:08 pmmichelle-while i don’t have the massa organic brown rice at home, you did inspire me to make some rice for lunch today.
May 21st, 2009 at 3:21 pmThis brand is sold at our Berkeley Farmers Markets. When I ate rice, that was the only brand I brought!
May 21st, 2009 at 7:06 pmI love brown rice.
May 21st, 2009 at 7:42 pmAll you recipes look and sound delish! It’s so great to hear the stories of farmers… Thanks!
May 21st, 2009 at 9:10 pm(If we could only grow rice in MA!)
I stumbled, followed and retweeted!
May 22nd, 2009 at 12:19 amI would love me some brown rice. I checked out Greg and Raquel’s blog and I’m excited to check in on them from time to time. I will be signing up for your newsletter also. So I think that totals 2 entries? It’s late and my husband does the numbers usually…so forgive me if I’ve miscounted. Love your site.
My best, Lynn
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:20 amhttp://safebeauty.blogspot.com
You rock! I’d love in on this! Tweeting and stumbling and FBing!
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:53 pmHahahaha…for Karen and anyone else wondering, perhaps I overstepped on the slang terms but Holla is just a kind of exclamation. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=holla
May 23rd, 2009 at 7:50 pmI picked a wheel barrel of radishes yesterday for a family cookout last night. There were so many tops I didn’t know what to do with them all. I cultured a gallon of them and needed more ideas. I yahoo’d for radish greens and your site came up. Great recipes and the fritters do look tasty. I signed up for the newsletter but honestly have a difficult time with the twitter and rss feed. Couldn’t get it to work right. I just spend too much time in the garden! Keep up the good work and inspiring recipes that provide culinary salvation.
May 24th, 2009 at 6:19 amWOW- what a great, convincing write up! I’ll be looking for Masa Organic Rice now, and I’m certainly going to try that fritter recipe! You’ve just re-inspired me to eat more rice!
May 24th, 2009 at 1:14 pmsigned up for your RSS, newsletter and Twitter. Also following Massa. Thanks for the great contact!
May 24th, 2009 at 1:20 pmHey Michelle!
May 24th, 2009 at 9:05 pmI love your blog and all the recipes you post! I love brown rice, too, and can’t wait to try out your recipes above! I love Boston, went to school there, and I am your classmate at IIN. You are an inspiration to us all!
I would love to try this brand! I need to try that brown rice pudding. Mmm
May 25th, 2009 at 6:01 amThose recipes look delicious-especially the brown rice pudding!
May 25th, 2009 at 3:59 pmI just found your blog and really like it!! are you a RD?
I’m super psyched about the start of farmers markets here in Boston!
I am now following both you and Massa and I retweeted and subscribed to your newsletter!
Those recipes look delicious.. especially the veggie fried rice.
May 25th, 2009 at 4:14 pmOh my gosh! I am loving your blog and would also love to win this bag of rice! thx for the giveawal
May 25th, 2009 at 9:52 pmI now subscribe via e-mail! Can’t wait to read more tasty recipes so need them since I am on a mission to lose 20lbs Yikes!
May 25th, 2009 at 9:54 pmJust added you on twitter. My name is MsLatina
Here’s my tweet
May 25th, 2009 at 9:57 pmhttp://twitter.com/MsLatina/status/1919463393
My Twitter ID is @MsLatina just added @MassaOrganics
Here’s my tweet:
May 25th, 2009 at 9:59 pmhttp://twitter.com/MsLatina/status/1919463393
Such great ideas for brown rice! I actually did cook a big pot last Saturday so I’d have some on hand for the week, and what a difference it makes. Beats the heck out of instant since you can’t do better than pre-cooked! The fritters look like GREAT fun – fab idea for when you’re low on groceries, too.
May 26th, 2009 at 8:41 amThat rice sounds wonderful! I love the nuttiness that brown rice brings and it tastes sooo much better than regular rice. And it’s so versatile too, loved all those recipe ideas
-kristen
May 26th, 2009 at 9:51 amI can’t wait to make the rice pudding. Hope to win the Massa Organics rice.
May 26th, 2009 at 2:06 pmHi, Michelle!
I made the coconut brown rice pudding this weekend and it was a big delish! Hopefully I will have a yummy bag of Massa rice to make it again soon!
May 27th, 2009 at 12:44 pmSounds wonderful! Brown Rice is the best and this sounds extraordinary.
May 27th, 2009 at 3:35 pmAnn Marie
Greatrecipes!!
May 30th, 2009 at 8:10 amI love the brown rice for it’s nutty flavor and fillingness (is that a word?) The recipes above sound so good I would love to try them out with the Massa Organic.
June 1st, 2009 at 1:40 pmthx for the delish-sounding recipes! i’m always looking for more fun ways to cook brown rice… beyond just dumping it on the plate next to the salmon.
it takes a while to cook, so i always make extra, and brown rice pudding looks like a great way to reuse & recycle. i’ll have to give the massa a try fo’ sho’.
June 1st, 2009 at 2:52 pmThe recipes sound great! Hope I win!!
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:18 amThe rice pudding recipe looks yummy. Would love to try it and also would like to try another brand of organic rice. I have never heard of Massa.
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:07 am