Wild Rice, Butter Bean, and Garlic Roasted Carrot Salad

Wild Rice, Butter Bean, and Garlic Roasted Carrot Salad
From My New Roots -- http://mynewroots.blogspot.com/2010/02/warm-salad-month-wild-rice-butter-bean.html

Ingredients:
1/2 cup wild rice
1 cup dried butter beans
4-5 medium carrots
1 small red onion
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch fresh dill
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:
1 Tbsp. mustard
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt

Directions:
1. Soak beans for 8 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse well and cover with fresh water. Add a teaspoon of sea salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until beans are soft – about 45 minutes.
2. While the beans are cooking, rinse the wild rice well, drain, and put in a pot. Cover rice with 1.5 cups fresh water, add a couple pinches of sea salt, bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer. Cook until rice is chewy-tender – about 45 minutes. You will know the rice is done when the grains open up to reveal their purple-gray inner portion.
3. Preheat the oven to 400F. While the rice is cooking, wash the carrots and slice them on the diagonal into ‘coins’, place on a baking sheet. Mince the garlic and combine it with the oil. Pour over carrots and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Place in the oven and roast, turning them a few times over the course of 15-20 minutes. The carrots should be cooked but not mushy – al dente!
4. Make the dressing by combining all ingredients together, shake well.
5. Now all the elements come together: Drain and rinse beans in cool water to stop the cooking process. Pour dressing over warm beans and toss. Let sit for 5 minutes or so. Drain the rice if any water remains, cool slightly. Mix with beans. Toss in the carrots, scraping the pan to add garlic oil to the remainder of the ingredients. Throw in some paper-thin onions slices, a heap of fresh, chopped dill, and grind some black pepper to finish.
6. Serve immediately. This salad is also delicious with red or black quinoa instead of wild rice; roasted sweet potatoes instead of carrots; or try any other mild white bean in place of the butter bean: cannellini, great northern, navy bean etc.