Summer Veggie Rice Bowl

I made this for a girls' night on the deck...served with a dry rosé...a perfect summer meal that highlights the veggies of the season...

This is a delicious healthy meal, great for bringing to work for lunch. I didnt feel too lemony at all, just make sure you add the salt to counteract the acid and take the time to use fresh lemon. The Parmesen also adds a good flavor. I only added one TBS of oil at the end and that was enough. I also didnt halve the tomatoes as I knew I was bringing for lunch and didnt want them to make the dish too soggy.

Simple, fresh and tasty...But I agree that this would have been WAY too lemony had I used the full amount of juice, even fresh. I used 1/2T each of fresh Meyer lemon juice and bottled juice, intending to add more once it was all assembled; but this was quite enough. I used pattypan squash in place of zucchini and cut the amount by half as my husband doesn't eat squash, and was able to cut the oil by more than 2/3 as a result. I also used just 1/2t of salt as I had seasoned the squash directly. Finally I doubled the amount of pine nuts, but without the extra oil the calories were about the same. The flavor combination was just right, and would have been fine even without the Parmesan. We ended up with 3 servings, likely due to the reduction in squash and possibly too little rice (I guessed that 1/3c was the correct amount to cook; this would have been helpful to include), and to larger servings. Like the other reviewer I served this lukewarm, but as a stand-alone dish.

I disagree with the previous review. I did not find this recipe too "lemony." I thought the tartness blended well with the vegetables and was balanced by the parmesan, and I most likely used more rind and juice than called for in the recipe. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly. It made more than 4 1-cup servings, more like 6. Also, I didn't let the rice cool completely, so the recipe was served warm, which I prefer anyway. This was a delicious summer recipe. A good use of zucchinis from our garden!

This recipe is WAY too lemony. I would start with one tablespoon of lemon juice and add more to taste. The way it is written, the lemon flavor overpowers the other vegetables and herbs, taking away from the dish.