Sage basmati rice with green and purple curly kale, L'Ove apple and lavender jam, calendula, rose and cornflower flowers.

4 basmati rice coffee cups
8 sage leaves
8 curly kale leaves (green and purple)
1 clove of garlic
extra virgin olive oil
dried flowers of calendula, rose and cornflower
Jam L'Ove | The glass garden (apple and lavender)

This recipe was born from the desire to experiment with the new line of L'Ove jams, which I produce in collaboration with two friends of mine that manage a small farm in Malamocco (called Sale in Zucca, Lido di Venezia), inserting the jams into a simple savory dish, which anyone can make desire to try and choreographic, which never hurts;)

Wash the rice, put it in a saucepan and cover it with 8 coffee cups of cold water (rice ratio: water 1: 2). Salt lightly, cover with a lid and cook over low heat for about 25 minutes (until the rice has absorbed all the water).
Meanwhile, blend the sage with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt.
When the rice is cooked, mix gently, add a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil, sage pesto and leave to rest.

Wash the kale, separate the leaves from the stem and cut them into pieces of about 4 cm. Peel and mash the garlic. In a pan (in this case I used the Lionese) heat 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the garlic (which as soon as it is well browned from all sides, must be removed). Add the curly kale and toast it by mixing often.

When the leaves are cooked but still crunchy (after about 5 minutes) add salt, mix well and turn off the heat.

Serve the rice with the cabbage, the flowers and a spoonful of lavender apple jam.
Its sweetness will balance the bitterness of the cabbage and the aroma of lavender will give a floral and fresh note to this dish.