Blog Post by Nicole Van Vleck: Mulvaney's Building & Loan Family Meal celebrates California Rice

Most of us enjoy rice as a side dish accompanying various meats and fish. Some of my favorites are sushi, teriyaki steak or simply rice alongside a chicken enchilada mixed with beans and salsa. Patrick and Bobbin Mulvaney had an entirely different take on rice at their recent Family Meal Celebrating California Rice at the Crocker Cafe. The entire meal was not only rice, but six types of California rice. My family was invited as Bobbin's guests to sit at her table.

My husband, children and father joined me in this tasty endeavor. It began with the appetizers which are always my daughter's favorites: sushi and Patrick's fried rice balls. The first course was a Red, White and Black rice salad with hazelnut and tarragon. This was my dad's favorite, as evidenced by his move to take the first scoop. My son, who at first passed on the Arborio Risotto with Wild Mushroom and Fiscalini Cheddar, ended up having seconds of this dish once he gave it a taste and realized how savory it was.

The main course was paired with short grain rice, Koshihikari, that we grow at Montna Farms and was prepared in a traditional Japanese fashion with a strip of loin of beef that had been roasted in sesame with baby bok choy. As my husband is a cattleman, this was definitely his favorite course.

Finally, my favorite was the dessert. I wrongly assumed Patrick would make rice pudding. However, he surprised me with Meyer Lemon infused with Rice and Almond Cake using all locally grown rice, citrus and almonds. It was fabulous and heartening to see the surprising ways our crop can be used when it’s in the hands of a creative chef!

When you’re in Sacramento, a trip to Mulvaney’s or the Crocker Cafe is a great way to sample the bounty of foods grown right here in the Central Valley.

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Nicole Montna Van Vleck is a third generation rice farmer who farms with her parents and sister in Sutter County. Nicole is Managing Partner of Montna Farms which grows, dries and stores super premium short grain rice. Montna Farms partners with many waterfowl organizations to protect and enhance waterfowl habitat primarily on its working rice lands.

Nicole is a graduate of UCLA and The California Agricultural Leadership Program. Nicole and her husband Stan have two school-aged children.