Rice With Tomatoes and Black Olives

• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 6 ounces whole onion or 5 ounces chopped onion (ready-cut) (1 1/3 cups)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 6 large Italian, French or Greek olives
• 1 1/4 pounds ripe field tomatoes
• Basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine rice and 2 cups of water in heavy-bottomed saucepan.
2. Bring to boil; reduce heat and cook a total of 17 minutes, until rice is tender and water has evaporated.
3. Meanwhile chop the whole onion; saute onion in hot oil in nonstick skillet.
4. Pit and cut up olives; wash, trim and coarsely chop tomatoes.
5. When onion is tender add the olives and tomatoes and cook over high heat to evaporate liquid.
6. Wash, dry and chop basil to make 2 tablespoons.
7. Just before adding tomato mixture to rice, stir in basil.
8. Add mixture to cooked rice and season with optional salt and with pepper.

longgrain rice, onion, olive oil, italian, tomatoes, basil, salt, freshly ground black pepper

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/4749 (may not work)