Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Crocus Flowers, Saffron and a Spring Tea

Hello and welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea! I'm a bit late...watching the PBS program on the Diamond Queen, Queen Elizabeth II. Wonderful! But...I digress.  Hope you are all enjoying your corned beef and cabbage! We had ours yesterday with leftovers for tonight. Yummmy!

As I am joining Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for her Springtime Tea...

 (as well as the other blogs below) , I was thinking about where we are in the spring progression here in the Pacific Northwest. We are in the crocus stage...far behind most of the rest of the country. Here is what is growing in our yard...the rest are buds...

I love daffodils, but we are only budding. So I remembered I have 2 teacups with crocus blossoms on them. I have shared the Rosina before, but not the Shelley China teacup.

This 1950s Rosina, England has dark pink crocuses on it. I love the shape, and the handle is quite elegant!

This design by Shelley China, England is named for the designer and is called Butcher's Crocus or Butcher's Crocus, Rose And Bluebell because of the yellow and red crocus in the flower bouquet. The shape is called Gainsborough which was made throughout most of Shelley's history until 1965, a year before the pottery closed, although the pattern dates to 1940-1965.  This is one of my favorite shapes. I love the delicate elegance of the design. 
For more info on the teacups at Antiques And Teacups, click on the photos.

I wanted to talk about crocuses also, because their stamens are the source  of the spice saffron. This photo is courtesy of www.gourmetsleuth.com which explains why the spice is so expensive. The crocus flowers are grown particularly for their stamens, only 3 to a bloom in areas like Iran and India

And the stamens have to be removed by hand...so it's an expensive process. Here is my jar and the strands....

That's over $10 dollars of spice! Saffron is also used to give a distinctive yellow color to foods.  I use it in a risotto I make and in an Indian rice dish with cashews and peas which I am sharing below. I happened to find an identical recipe to mine online, although mine is from an old Small Planet cookbook from the 1970s...would have photographed that, but it doesn't have a cover any longer! We love Indian food and Indian spiced food. This is very nice!

Saffron Rice with Peas and Cashews

Rice is a staple of many diets across the world. It's endlessly flexible and variable; it can be a dessert, a side dish, a main dish. As good as plain white rice can be, we love to dress up our rice just a little. All it takes is a pinch of this and that...

This slightly sweet and nutty rice has the golden flavor of saffron that spreads throughout the dish as the rice cooks. It also has tender little peas and cashews that have been softened in cooking. This mix of colors and flavors is warming and refreshing. We serve it with good lamb curry or eat it on its own with a little yogurt for a light vegetarian dinner.

Saffron Rice with Peas and Cashews
serves 4-6
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups Basmati rice, well-rinsed and washed
1/2 teaspoon (2 pinches) saffron threads
1 cup unroasted, lightly salted cashew halves
1 cup frozen organic peas
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Wash and drain rice. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 4-quart pot. Add the rice and fry a couple minutes. Add the saffron threads and cashew halves and fry for another minute. Add the peas, fry for a few moments, then add the water, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 18-20 minutes.

Take off the lid and turn the heat off. Stir in the garam masala and salt to taste. Let the rice sit to "dry" for a few minutes. Serve.

Taken from www.thekitchn.com

These are saffron buns, and if you have any Scandanavian ancestry, you probably have these around December and for St. Lucia's Day.  The distinctly yellow color and equally distinct flavor is the saffron form thos little crocuses! Amazing!

So thanks for joining me today for Tuesday Cuppa Tea and don't forget Sandi's Springtime Tea. Here is the linky for your wonderful tea related posts and a list of some of the blogs I am joining.

Common Ground ~ http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com

Monday Marketplace

Terri~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday

Trisha~  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/ 
Tea Party Tuesday

Sandi  ~  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Teatime Tuesday

Kathy~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Victoria - A Return to Loveliness

Martha~  http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ 

Tea On Tuesday
Miss Kathy ~http://thewritersreverie.blogspot.com/

Tuesday Tea       

Michelle ~ http://www.finchrest.com/

Tea On Tuesday

Betty ~ http://teacoziecottage.blogspot.ca/

Tea Tuesday

Phyllis ~ http://www.relevanttealeaf.blogspot.com/

Tea On Tuesday

Shawn ~ http://poetryinapotoftea.blogspot.com/

Poetry In A Pot Of Tea

Bernideen’s ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/

Friends Sharing Tea Wednesday

 Ivy And Elephants ~http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

What’s It Wednesday                                           

Sandi  ~  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Home On Wednesday

 A Tea Lover     ~http://the-teaist.blogspot.com/

Tea Talk Wednesday