The markets and gardens everywhere are bursting with edible blooms this time of year. But aside from their obvious aesthetics, they provide a tasty addition to salads, soups or even sandwiches.
The first beauty is the Spring Onion Chive in full bloom…They have a much milder taste than the leaves, adding just a touch of fresh garlic aroma and flavor.
The second is the gorgeous flowering answer to spring, in the form of Sage blossoms… And like the chive blossoms, have a subtle hint of sage. 
These delightful little legumes are fresh chickpeas, or garbanzo beans. They make a perfect snack to just munch on and have a bright nutty spring green flavor. We added them raw to our quinoa dish for an added spring touch. The browned butter, wish some crispy sage, lends an incredible warming nutty flavor that should not be missed.
For our salt and pepper seasoning, we are going with a Fennel Salt and a favorite pepper of mine the Tellicherry. They are both fantastic additions to top off any dish, and add some earthy warmness to give a bit of a royal touch. However any of your favorites or what you have on hand will do nicely.
To add a bit more spicy warmth we will be infusing our rice in a tea mixture of cardamom and pepper corns, with a bit of laurel and cloves. Then topping it all of with pan roasted walnuts dusted in Pimenta dioica berries (allspice).
This rice is a pearl rice that has been infused with bamboo extract giving it a slight green tint. But aside from its unique coloring and exotic aroma, there is just a hint of a vanilla flavor that really sets this rice apart from any other.
The quinoa, although used frequently as a grain, is actually a seed. These little beauties have a nutty slightly smokey flavor and aside from being delicious, are packed with nutrients.
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Red Quinoa and Jade Pearl Rice with Sage Brown Butter
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
This protein packed and flavorful dish makes a great “meatless” main as well.
Ingredients
- For the quiona and jade peal rice
- 1 C (190g) raw organic red quinoa
- 1 C (190g) raw jade pearl bamboo rice
- 1 tbsp (15g) cardamon pepper tea(steeped in 1 cup boiling water)
- For the sage browned butter
- 6 tbsp (90g) organic unsalted butter, softened
- 10 large fresh sage leaves
- For the toasted walnuts
- 1 C (190g) shelled walnuts, crushed
- 1 tsp (5g) Pimenta dioica berries, ground (allspice)
- For the garnishes
- 1 small bunch of spring onion chives
- 1 1/2 C (225g) un-shelled fresh chickpeas
- 1 tsp (5g) fennel salt
- 1 1/2 tsp (7.5g) tellecherry pepper, ground
Instructions
- For the quiona and jade peal rice
- Begin by preparing your rice, 1 cup rice to 1 cup cardamon tea and 1/2 cup water.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes, fluff with a fork and set aside.
- For the quinoa, add 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes or until liquid has absorbed, fluff with a fork.
- Place in a large mixing bowl.
- For the sage browned butter
- Place softened butter in a sauté pan over medium heat, once butter has melted, add torn sage leaves.
- Continue to sauté until butter begins to brown having a nutty toasted aroma, and sage is dark and crispy. About 4-5 minutes.
- For the toasted walnuts
- Place crushed walnuts in a hot pan over high heat, toss a bit for about 1 minute.
- Then add the allspice and continue to move around in the pan until well toasted and fragrant. About 2-3 minutes.
- For the garnishes
- Place rice along with quinoa into your large mixing bowl.
- Toss a few times to incorporate.
- Shell your fresh chickpeas and slice in half, toss in with your quinoa and rice.
- Add sage brown butter and toss again.
- Now add toasted walnuts and chopped spring onions.
- Garnish further with spring onion and sage blossoms.
Notes
- You can replace the Jade Pearl rice with a brown rice, and the fresh garbanzos can be replaced with a canned variety that have been well rinsed to remove the salt.
- For a vegan friendly version use a butter substitute like Hearth Balance, our sauté sage in a nut or palm oil.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380
Frequently Asked Questions
What is jade pearl bamboo rice and where do I find it?
It is white rice infused with bamboo extract, which gives it a faint green tint and a subtle vanilla-like aroma. Specialty grocery stores and Asian markets typically carry it. If you cannot find it, brown rice is a straightforward substitute and works just fine in this dish.
Why cook the rice in cardamom tea instead of plain water?
Steep 1 tablespoon of cardamom pepper tea in 1 cup of boiling water, then use that tea plus 1/2 cup plain water as your cooking liquid for the rice. The spiced tea infuses a gentle warmth into the grain that mirrors the sage brown butter and allspice on the walnuts. Plain water produces a much flatter result.
When do the fresh chickpeas go in, and can I use canned?
Shell the fresh chickpeas, slice them in half, and toss them in raw with the cooked rice and quinoa when you are assembling the bowl. Adding them raw keeps that bright, nutty crunch. Canned chickpeas work fine as a substitute, just rinse them thoroughly to remove the salt before tossing in.
How do I brown the butter without burning it?
Start with 6 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Once it melts, add the torn sage leaves. Keep the heat at medium and stir or swirl the pan regularly. You are watching for the butter to turn golden and smell nutty and toasted, with the sage going dark and crispy. This takes about 4 to 5 minutes. Pull it immediately when you hit that stage.
Great looking recipe!! Can’t wait to try it, but what about the cardamom pepper tea and the fennel salt? Do you buy those or do you have recipes?
Hi Mei-i, thank you so much! Yes it is the case that the stems are tough with the blooms. In this case the bud or flower contains the majority of the flavor, however I have used the tougher stems to fragrant soups etc, much like you would the more woody herbs like thyme.
Beautiful post! I’ve just discovered the spring onion chive at a local farm in NJ. It’s so pretty and tasty…but I found the stems to actually be quite tough in comparison to regular chives. Is that normally the case? Congrats on top 9!!
Congrats on the top 9 Alisha. You are a an amazing cook and photographer.
Thanks Suzanne, you are so sweet :)
lovely post looks wonderful
Thank you Akheela :)
What a delightful protein dish! I’ve never seen fresh chickpeas before, it’s always fascinating to know new ingredients from you. want to try this recipe with pack of multicolour quinoa I’ve just bought
Thank you Shannon! It is indeed a protein packed dish, hope you get to try it with your quinoa :)