Marinated tomato-rice salad

Yield: 12 sweet ones

Ingredients:

7 md Size Ripe tomatoes; -seeded and diced (about (about 2 lbs cored -1 1/2 cups)
1/2 c Cider vinegar; 1 c Parsley; chopped
1 tb Sugar or equal to sugar 1/2 c Olive oil; -substitute 9 Green onions; thinly sliced
3 c Brown rice; 1 ts Salt;
2 sm Cucumbers; pared

Instructions:

halved 1/2 ts Pepper; Prepare a tomato rose for the garnish. Starting at the bottom of one of the tomatoes cut the skin of the tomato with a vegetable peeler in one long continuous strip about 1/4 inch wide. Starting at the with the end you first removeed roll the strip skinside out into a rose shape. Cover with damp paper toweling and refrigerate until needed. Cut 5 of the remaining plus the peeled tomato into 1/4" cubes. Place in a medium-size bowl. Add vinegar basil and sugar; stir to mix well. Cover; marinate in the refrierator for 1 hour. Cook the rice following label directions. Drain; cool to room temperature. Combine the rice cucumber and parsly in a large bowl. Stir in the olive oil. Add green onion marinated tomatoes salt and pepper; stir to mix well. Pack 3 cups of the rice mixture into a 3 1/2 quart bowl. Cut the remaining tomato into 3/4" cubes. Arrange the cubes skin side out in a ring around the outside of the bowl. Add remaining rice mixture to the bowl pack well. Cover; refrigerate for 1 hour. To serve gently run a thin spatula arond the inside of the bowl. Invert the salad onto a large serving plate. Garnish the top with the tomato rose. Source: The Best of Family Circle Cookbook Brought to you and yours via Nancy O'Brion and her Meal-Master