In Living Color.
Yearning for spring? Me, too. Always. I felt the need (desire?) to get creative in the kitchen, so I asked my friend Lisa (owner of Experience Ancient Seas at our farmers market) if the Butterfly Pea Flower Tea (tisane) she sells might make for a fun addition to my culinary cabinet. She thought it was a great idea and her son, Maxim, told me about the fun blue chicken they once made with it. I drove home thinking about how I might use the powder. It didn’t take me long to dream something up; a blue risotto with brightly-colored vegetables. The next week at the market I bought the Butterfly Pea Flower Tea and all the beautiful fresh vegetables I needed.
Butterfly pea flowers (a different genus from garden peas) are said to have a lot of health benefits: support of healthy skin, stress relief, high in antioxidants, and promote hair growth. (Note: I might be too far gone to be helped by the latter.) In addition to these benefits, the flower powder makes things pretty and, as I have said many times before, pretty goes a long way with me. In the end, this is a simple vegetable risotto that I made pretty. If you can’t find butterfly pea flowers, make the risotto using saffron or beet juice for gorgeous color. It will be pretty no matter how you present it.
~ David
Butterfly Pea Flower Risotto with Spring Vegetables
To print this recipe, please click the small printer icon below.
Ingredients
- 1 large golden beet
- 4-5 small Chioggia (see notes) or regular beets
- 3 carrots
- 1 cup fresh peas
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups light broth — vegetable or poultry (see notes)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered butterfly pea flowers
- organic flowers, for garnish
Instructions
- Scrub the beets and carrots. Steam them over simmering water until tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Large beets will take 30 minutes, small beets 15 minutes, and the carrots 10-12 minutes. Once done, and just barely cool enough to handle, rub off the skins, then cut them in 3/8-inch slices. Steam the peas separately for about 5-7 minutes. Set all vegetables aside covered.
- Bring your broth to a simmer and season well with salt and pepper. In a large kettle over medium heat, melt the butter and add the shallot. After 2 minutes, add the rice and stir to coat well with the butter. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the rice is opaque, then add the wine. Stir until the wine is almost completely absorbed, then start adding the simmering broth, one ladleful at a time, stirring until it is mostly absorbed before adding the next ladleful. Continue in this manner until all the broth is used up — about 18-20 minutes. When you add the final ladleful of broth, also add the cheese. Mix well, then add the powdered butterfly pea flowers, and stir well to disseminate the powder throughout.
- Reheat the vegetables briefly by steaming them or microwaving them (30 seconds).
- Divide the risotto among 4 wide flat bowls and decorate the tops with the vegetables and flowers (if using).
- Serves 4.
- Notes:
- – Chioggia beets are red and white striped. As they cook, they become an overall pink but more delicate in color than regular beets. You can still see the stripes in the ones I used.
- – homemade broth is the best. Store bought can be used but I would dilute it — 4 cups purchased broth plus 2 cups water. Taste the broth for seasoning, as it will flavor the rice as it cooks.
© 2024 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Mad Dog
April 20, 2024 at 5:59 amThat looks stunning! I’m growing some multi coloured carrots, nasturtiums and marigolds at present – both of the flowers are edible. I read somewhere that marigolds were once used to enhance the colour of cusard.
Cocoa & Lavender
April 20, 2024 at 7:44 amI think pot marigolds (or calendula) would make sense as a color agent. Regular tagetes might be too flavorful or pungent for a custard. I love that you are growing your own carrots — what else is in your garden?
Mad Dog
April 20, 2024 at 11:15 amBroad beans, beans, peas, onions, spring onions, four types of tomato, celery, onza chillis, etc.
David Scott Allen
April 20, 2024 at 11:23 amOh, I wish we could grow broad beans here — they are the best. They aren’t even available at the farmers market. Sounds like a lovely garden.
Mad Dog
April 21, 2024 at 1:15 pmThanks! I love broad beans (my grandmother’s favourite) – they are the European bean, prior to 1492.
Cocoa & Lavender
April 21, 2024 at 5:02 pmI don’t think anyone in my family except for me ever eats them. Their loss!
Mimi Rippee
April 20, 2024 at 6:20 amWow! You really had fun with this post, didn’t you?! Such pretty photos.
Cocoa & Lavender
April 20, 2024 at 7:45 amI did have fun, Mimi — this one was all about the pretty.
Carolyne
April 20, 2024 at 6:46 amWhat an interesting combination! Your photo makes that dish look like a spring garden.
Cocoa & Lavender
April 20, 2024 at 7:45 amThat is what it Fe;t like as I was making it. Spring on a plate!
Susan Manfull
April 20, 2024 at 6:58 amA well-known master chef in Provence, Édouard Loubet, was famous for his use of tisanes in his fabulous dishes! He had two Michelin stars to his credit. Your gorgeous Butterfly Pea Flower Risotto is something he might have served. Lovely and healthy!
Cocoa & Lavender
April 20, 2024 at 7:48 amSigh. Michelin has never even heard of me! (Haha) I am glad you thought mine might be semi-worthy, Susan!
Barb
April 20, 2024 at 7:34 amThat plate of food is a work of art! I hadn’t heard of butterfly pea flower tea. It’s always good to learn something new. I’m going to check it out.
Cocoa & Lavender
April 20, 2024 at 7:49 amI heard about butterfly pea flours on a baking site years ago — people were using it to make breads and cakes blue. When I saw that Lisa had it, I got on board but in a different way! I can’t say I tasted anything different when using it, but the color was stunning!
Barb
April 20, 2024 at 9:19 amI just read that it turns purple from changing the pH if you add lemon juice or any other acid. How fun!
Cocoa & Lavender
April 20, 2024 at 10:03 amBarb — it’s funny you should say that — I just mentioned it to someone on my FB post. I need to experiment!
angiesrecipes
April 20, 2024 at 9:56 pmThis looks stunning with all the colours…beautiful presentation, David.
Cocoa & Lavender
April 21, 2024 at 10:52 amThanks, Angie — color is often my inspiration!
Ronit Penso
April 21, 2024 at 8:49 amThis beautiful and colorful dish has “spring” all over it!
Never heard of this powder before, but will definitely check into it. I’ve just made no-churn blueberry ice cream, and I now think I could use it to add an ever deeper blueish-purple color to it. Next time! 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
April 21, 2024 at 10:53 amOoh — I bet that would be beautiful in your ice cream, Ronit!
Ngeun
April 21, 2024 at 7:00 pmThis looks just Exquisite, David! Wow!! 😳😍😍 And I’m sure it tastes divine too. Such a beautiful dish and post! Wishing you all the best! 🙏🙏❤️❤️✨✨💐💐
Cocoa & Lavender
April 21, 2024 at 9:13 pmThank you so much, Ngeun! I really appreciate your kind words. It was one of the most fun things I’ve created. Like a painting! Hope you are well (and your mother, too) — sending you my best. 🙏🏻🩵
sherry
April 22, 2024 at 5:01 pmyears ago when we were vegetarians, hubby used to make colourful rice with food dye I must confess so we often ate vego chilli with green or blue rice! So delightful and fun. Love the colour her. I’ve actually just bought some salt coloured with pea flower so it is a pretty blue! and of course the gin you can buy turns that gorgeous pink/purple when you add tonic etc. Such fun.
Cocoa & Lavender
April 23, 2024 at 7:38 amOoh, I do not know about that gin, Sherry. It sounds fascinating. If you add citrus to this, it also changes color and it is beautiful Q
Jeff the Chef
April 23, 2024 at 7:22 amDavid, that is an absolute work of art! Seriously, it might be the most beautiful plate of food I’ve ever seen. Plus, I love everything in it – except that I can’t imagine what the pea flower tastes like. Peas? Anyway, incredible.
Cocoa & Lavender
April 23, 2024 at 7:37 amThanks, Jeff — what a generous comment. It was one that I knew I wanted to make beautiful — this was the second of two versions which came to me at the last moment. As for the flavor? There is so little in the dish that it doesn’t add a ton of flavor — a bit of pea flavor maybe?
Raymund
April 25, 2024 at 4:43 pmDavid, your creative use of Butterfly Pea Flower Tea in a blue risotto sounds absolutely delightful! Not only does it add a vibrant pop of color, but it also brings with it a plethora of health benefits. That plate is really pretty!
Velva
April 26, 2024 at 7:35 amDavid, it is almost too pretty to eat! Your risotto dish definitely makes a presentation. Beautiful.
Velva
Inger
April 27, 2024 at 8:20 amThis is so beautiful I’m sitting here wondering what else butterfly peaflower could be used to color!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
May 1, 2024 at 4:47 pmI remember Butterfly Pea Flower drinks were ultra trendy online a few years ago (maybe still are.) But I love your creativity to use it in a savoury dish. Loving this fusion risotto and its pretty colour!