Brown rice saute with parsley and sage

8 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ cup Brown rice Short or long-grain preferably organic
3 tablespoons Olive oil
2 Onions; diced
4 Carrots; shredded
1 tablespoon Sesame seeds
Salt and pepper; to taste
1 large Bunch fresh parsley; chopped
1 teaspoon Dried thyme or
1 tablespoon Chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons Dried sage or
2 tablespoons Chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon Soy sauce (opt'l.)

Directions

Wash the rice well under cold water, then place in a saucepan with water to cover by ¼". Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down low and cover tightly. Simmer until all water is absorbed, approximately 1 hour. In a frying pan or wok, heat the oil and saute the onions until golden brown or even a bit burnt, about 8 minutes. Add the cooked rice to the onions. Stir in the carrots, sesame seeds, salt and pepper to taste, and the herbs. Stir-fry lightly for about 5 minutes. Mix in the soy sauce just before serving, if desired.

The authors write: "Herbs have always been a part of Caroline Collis's life. As a child she remembers gargling with red sage to tame a throat infection. When her own children had chest colds, she eased their coughs with a jelly made from lotus-root flowers, hot water, and honey, an old Chinese herbal medicine she learned from friends.

"Caroline's husband, Michael, a hair stylist, discovered another dimension of these useful plants. In the early seventies he began studying herb books, looking for substitutes for the harsh products women used to keep their highly stylized coifs in place. Soon he and Caroline were stirring up buckets of herbal shampoo in the back of their Molton Brown Salon. Customers were so delighted with the shampoo they asked to buy it for home use, and Michael obligingly packaged the shampoo in old medicine bottles. Finding himself besieged with requests for conditioners, lotions, and other herbal products, he realized he had started a business.

"In order to expand and still retain complete control over the quality of their products, the Collises bought an old farm, Mott's Hall, in the countryside north of London. Now they have room to raise herbs for their products and for a small factory in the former barn. In addition to the fields of herbs, a traditional herb garden with culinary herbs was planted just outside the dining room. 'I'd always admired other people's gardens and wanted one of my own,' says Caroline. 'I'm drawn to the sense of order.'" "The Collises and their children spend most weekends at the farm, and Caroline often finds herself cooking for weekend guests. 'I try to cook things that are quick and easy to prepare,' she says. 'I resent spending time in the kitchen unless it's for a very special dinner party.' The cooking at Mott's Hall reflects the Collises' mutual interest in healthful eating, and adapting Chinese cooking methods to her wholesome vegetable and grain dishes helps Caroline put meals together quickly. Herbs, generally in interesting combinations, are always an important part of the seasoning. 'I use lots of ginger, garlic, parsley, chives, and tarragon,' she says. 'When I'm in the country, I just go into the garden and pick what I think will be nice.'"

From Caroline Collis of Mott's Hall/England in "Cooking with Herbs" by Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1989. Pg. 198. Posted by Cathy Harned.

Submitted By CATHY HARNED On 10-15-94

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