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My husband, Will, and I planted our first vegetable garden at the tail end of spring. We were so excited to harvest a variety of tomatoes, pumpkin, okra, squash, cucumber and a plethora of greens and herbs by the beginning of fall. After carefully planting each and every seed, hand watering daily, and taking morning garden tours and connecting with their progress, much to our dismay, a pesky little rabbit or squirrel took it upon themselves to feast at our expense.
What they don’t find appealing to their palate are the more potent herbs, such as the mint and tarragon and spicy greens. For some reason they have also left behind the delicate thyme too. Lucky me!
This recipe made me rethink salads. Growing up when I tried to help my mom out in the kitchen, she would always put me in charge of the veggie chopping for salads. I barely learned the secrets of cooking the main entrees, but I got really good at nailing the salads.
It is truly such a fulfilling pleasure to pluck fresh herbs from your garden and include it in your meal. I picked some thyme, sage and tarragon, which I couldn’t believe I found a recipe that called for three untouched ingredients from my garden! I soaked, washed and chopped them and took a little over a tablespoon of the mixture and tossed it with the salad. The combination of the baby greens I used along with the potent herbs was fantastic! Not too overbearing from the defined sage and tarragon leaves.
Brewing the Darjeeling with rice vinegar was innovative. Darjeeling has a naturally flowery aroma that complemented the herbs and greens and fit into this salad in its own defined piece of the puzzle.
Will, who is a clinical salad dodger, devoured it. Perfectly light and airy, it went well with the main course of whole, roasted chicken.
A while back I embarked on a journey to try every recipe printed in the fabulous book, Culinary Tea by Cynthia Gold and Lise Stern. My journey was interrupted by a gift from God…I became pregnant with my first child. As I could not reap the fruits of my labor, i.e., as I was now prohibited from consuming caffeine, I decided it was best to wait until now.
With my son sound asleep right next to me this 3rd month of his birth, I have shaken the dust off of my copy of Culinary Tea and am ready to dive back into trying all recipes.
 What I have discovered is that a copy of the book in its entirety can be found in Google Books. So rather than typing in all of the recipes into my own blog, you can follow along as I post the link to each recipe I try. This way, you can be sure to get them verbatim and I can be free from any blame for a typo of something like 2 tablespoons of sugar vs. 12 tablespoons of sugar. Not that that has happened so far…but anything is possible.
Yea! I get to cook with tea again! Is it strange that I like being a housewife? And a mother? How old fashioned can I get really? I’m 33 years old, grew up in the states, have a graduate degree, worked full time in a high profile profession, run an online business and I still believe that wives should cater to their husbands.
We have friends where their wives don’t know where to find the measuring cups in their own kitchen. These same friends come to potluck dinners with the husbands making the food. I must really be old fashioned because this notion always bothers me. Either way, I believe being a great cook is part of being a strong, well-rounded woman, and I'm excited to share ideas and recipes when I come across a good one.
Back to the amazing tea recipes. I recently cooked up a batch of Smoky Tea-Spiced Almonds, a variation from Smoky Tea-Spiced Pecans because I didn't have pecans and I was determined to do a recipe soon and not be held back any longer.
Not having a tea spice grinder, because I haven’t heard of one until today, I used my hubby’s coffee grinder instead. Yes he does drink coffee. Que lastima! I wonder if he will notice the hints of smoky Lapsang Souchong in his morning cup tomorrow, hehe!
Nuts and Lapsang are like tailgating in football. They were made for each other. Smoky Tea-Spiced Almonds are an excellent, healthy snack to any sporting event. It has the smoky touch that Lapsang provides but not too overbearing, in fact, it could be a bit smokier. It also has a sweet and spicy combo from the cayenne and allspice that makes you want to pop one after another into your mouth. It makes a perfect snack for football playoffs.
 Have you experienced the nighttime stalker, the sleepytime killer, the tossing and turning, turning and tossing, head under pillow, covers over head, on the tummy, left side, right side, even upside down and you just can't seem to escape its doom? Whether it be a final exam, a new job interview, a relationship gone sour, or a business decision that keeps you up staring at the ice melting away in your water glass with the nearby reflection of red lit numbers ticking away at your sanity as it approaches the set alarm time before you've even had a chance to catch one z. Insomnia is no joke. The good news is, tea for insomnia is no joke either.
You've tried all sorts of remedies. Over-the-counter, prescription, counting, reading, watching television, glass of milk, spoonful of yogurt, acupuncture, hypnotism and nothing seems to work. You've simply had enough.
California Tea House's Bedtime Chai is specifically designed to combat sleeplessness ... Bedtime Chai is a sleepytime tea, and it works. CTH invites you to take the natural challenge by sipping yourself to sleep. The main, all natural ingredient, valerian root, is a powerful herb famous throughout history to tranquilize oneself.
Bedtime Chai's valerian root is blended up with organic honeybush, chamomile blossoms, organic vanilla pieces, whole cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and toasted rice bits. The addition of chamomile, which is also known as a sleep aid that combats anxiety, seals this beverage as a powerful sleepytime potion.
California Tea House invites you to take a sleepytime challenge for a peaceful slumber:
1. Eliminate caffeine intake at least 8 hours before you sleep.
2. Eat a hearty dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime that leaves you full.
3. Brew a hot cup of Bedtime Chai an hour before bedtime.
4. Drink your tea next to a fire, listening to soft music, or cuddling next to a loved one.
As always, we love your feedback!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup finely diced carrots
1/4 cup fresh or frozen green peas or thinly sliced snow peas
2 tablespoons finely diced celery
1 cup water
1 ounce enoki mushroom stems trimmed to 1 inch from the head
8 ounces cooked chicken breast, diced (about 2 cups)
Salt to taste
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons loose-leaf jasmine tea leaves
1 cup cooked short-grained rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine the carrots, peas and celery. Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to maintain a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
Heat the chicken stock in a medium saucepan until just steaming. Put the tea leaves in a medium bowl, pour over the chicken stock and steep, covered, for 2 minutes. Strain, discarding the leaves and returning the stock to the pan. Keep warm over low heat.
Take 1/4 cup of rice at a time and squeeze to form 4 patties, each about 2 inches in diameter. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the 4 patties and sear on both sides until golden brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
To serve, divide the hot stock among 4 bowls. Divide the chicken and enoki mushrooms among the 4 bowls. Top each bowl with a rice patty, and divide the vegetable mix and place on top of each rice patty. Serve immediately.
Impression:
What a delightful and original way to make a soothing chicken soup! The jasmine tea is not overbearing at all, but rather makes an aromatically colored broth. I've never cooked with enoki mushrooms which look like a thinner version of moon jellies and have a stringy texture that add a nice flavor. Even though I could not find fresh ones, I used a canned version that seemed to fit the bill. The rice patties were my favorite, a bite of its crispy exterior complements the warm liquid swishing in your mouth. More importantly, this recipe was easy to make. It definitely deserves an A. Can't wait to try this again.
 Think it's a good idea to keep your fine loose leaf tea sitting on top of your stove or near a window exposed to sunlight? Not if you want to make it last long enough to enjoy through next winter. If tea is properly stored, it can potentially last up to a year for green, oolong and black teas. White tea lasts about six months before it isn't as good in quality as when fresher. Stale tea will taste flat, as if you are sipping liquid cardboard. Here are the do's and don'ts of properly storing loose leaf tea:
DO:
- Keep fresh tea away from air, heat, light, and moisture. Each of these will cause the tea to deteriorate or to go stale.
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Place the loose leaf tea in a non-plastic container. Preferably use a container that is made from tin or aluminum. Plastic can transfer an odor and spoil the taste of the tea. It should be airtight; if not, place the tea in a sealable bag first, although be careful of the odor of the bag if it's plastic. After usage, tightly close or seal the container every single time. This ensures that the tea maintains its freshness, flavor and aroma.
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Store the tea in a dark, cool, and dry location. Light and moisture are tea's biggest enemies as they will activate enzymes that contribute to its decomposition. The perfect place to store tea is in a pantry that has an automatic light switch and its temperature constant, unaffected by climate change. A kitchen cabinet is the next best location. Keep flavored tea apart from plain varietal or origin (pure) teas. Otherwise, the flavored tea will overpower all the other teas in the cubby. Conduct a sniff test before storing. Blended teas may have a flavor that is overwhelming. Keep smoky teas well separated; they are the most potent.
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Buy smaller quantities of tea and drink them faster to retain freshness.
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Tightly seal bag or close tin after each use.
DO NOT:
- Place tea over the stove. The heat and moisture will harm it.
- Place tea in the refrigerator or freezer. This will burn the taste and kill the aroma.
- Store tea in a garage. It will be exposed to light and moisture which are the primary causes of deteriorating tea.
- Purchase tea that comes in a see-through glass container. You may not know how long that tea has been sitting on the shelf.
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