The Earl is Receiving

Believe it or not, but these are the pillars of a parking garage in Sorrento,
Italy.


Yesterday's Coconut Black Tea was really good iced. Sweetener nicely brings out the flavor, so here's another one for your summer tea line up.

Today the air feels as heavy as lead and as invasive as Bishop's weed. All the plants and trees are motionless. It may rain. It would certainly be a relief to this heaviness.

I ordered some Aged Earl Grey from Numi Teas, as well as a sampler. These folks are truly generous. I not only got my teas, but 3 samples of an organic granola bar from Nature's Path, a fruit bar from Pure Organics and chocolate animal crackers from Barbara's Organics. I have to say they were all excellent and would make a nice nosh with your tea. The tea is a hearty organic Assam that was aged for several weeks with "real organic Bergamot". No flavorings here. The leaves are small and broken, a combination of brown and black with some nice golden buds. It smells delightful in the package and while it is brewing for 3.5 minutes. The infusion is heavy and solid, quite dark and aromatic of both tea and bergamot. It has a great smooth, definitive Earl Grey taste, which really pleases me, as so many Earls I have had in the past year or so smell wonderful and taste like nothing. My one complaint is that 3.5 minutes is too long. Next time I need to do three as the Assam was getting a bit tannic. And that is my fault, not theirs.


I just finished putting away my spice haul, which made me itch to make something different. I think I will marinate some chicken in yogurt and Greek spices and then see what I'll do. Nice Greek salad with feta cheese. Hurry sundown!