A Myriad of Tastes

What a disappointment!  I added pineapple sage to my ice tea, I even muddled it a bit and poured boiling water on it so it would give flavor to the tea.  I used more than I thought necessary and what did I get?  Zippedy doo dah.  No flavor, no nothing.  Rats.  Guess I'll just use it as decor.

However, on the plus side, I needed  to trim back my scented geraniums and used the rose scented leaves in some other ice tea and YUM! a lovely addition.  I used about 6 big leaves to about a quart of tea, muddling and adding a bit of boiling water.  Worked a treat..  That was with black tea.  With green, I would probably only use 3-4.  Scented geraniums, aka pelargoniums, come in many, many scents and if you really want to branch out in flavoring your tea, this might be a way to go.  On the whole, I have found the lemon. orange and rose the strongest scented of the ones I would add to tea.  The little leafed "Lemon Crispum" has the cutest leaves in the world.  Tiny little bright green crinkles you can add to tea or ice cubes.  They aren't too big on flowers, but they sure smell good.  In the north, they need to come inside for the winter.  (What else is new, sigh?)

By the way, I have been finding that a cup or so of boiling water is a good start to refrigerator ice tea.  For some reason, it seems to work better.

I made a discovery.  My new favorite black tea - S.D.Bell's - calls for a 6 (SIX!!!???) minute steep.  Gulp.  I liked it at my standard 3.5 minutes.  However, in the interest of tea science  I did it, following their recommendations to also stir it at 3 minutes.  Huh, it was actually just fine, with a  greater depth of flavor and surprisingly, no tannin.  Since this is an Irish Breakfast type, crafted to go with milk and sugar, that's really not any great surprise. Himself loved it. Guess I'll keep that up.

I came up with a new Asian style chicken salad dressing.  It came about when I bought a packet of those crisp Chinese noodles that homemade chow mien dishes always used to sport on top.  There was a recipe for Asian chicken salad on the back which looked good, but when I tasted the dressing I thought it was simply awful.  So I made my own.

Enough mayonnaise for the amount of chicken you're using.
about 1-2 teaspoons soy sauce
2-3 teaspoons of toasted, i.e. dark, sesame oil
about 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice
A little sugar or some Mirin 

Mix well and pour over your chicken - I had chopped water chestnuts, green onions and mandarin oranges in mine.  Taste first and make any adjustments according to how you like it.

Just before serving, top with the crunchy Chinese noodles, adding a lot or a little according to taste.  Since this was for a small tea luncheon, I put the salad in lettuce cups and just added a few on top, but I passed a dish of them just in case. Instead of scones, we had pot stickers - there are frozen ones that cook up quickly and are very tasty, served with Goyusa sauce, aka pot sticker sauce.  I served rice crackers on the side and some lovely Long Jing ice tea.  Dessert was mango sorbet.

Amalfi, my husband's ancestral home.

Ah, Summer

Hmm, I see it has been quite a while since I wrote.  The last month has been so busy I have barely had time to drink tea, let alone write about it.  Planting, volunteering, having company, recovering from company, baby showers, busy, busy, busy.

However, I continue to make my ice tea in the fridge and I must tell you about one I really like.  It comes from Lupicia Teas.  it is their apricot flavored black tea.  It is just refreshing and the apricot blends very well with the black tea.  The fruitiness somehow says "Summer".  I guess that is because there are so many more fruits available now.  I would recommend this to you if you like flavored tea at all.  It is especially nice that you can let it brew overnight and it is just fine.  I don't make my extra strong, so you may need to take that into account.

Speaking of which, I am growing pineapple sage this summer.  Up here, it is an annual with pretty red flowers.  Supposedly, the leaves smell like pineapple and are often used for tea punches.  Personally, I think they smell like bubblegum.  But I am going to include it in today's ice tea and see how it is.  Hopefully, I will report tomorrow.

Another thing I have been doing with my ice tea is cutting up strawberries, which are local at the moment and muddling them a bit to add to the tea.  Or I just plop a few in the glass.  The latter is prettier.

More of the Amalfi road.

So Long Assam

Oh dear, I have a tea I really like and now discover it is no longer available. Phooey.  I am not a great fan of Assam tea.  Many are wonderful but many get too tannic too fast or they are too malty or too heavy or just too something.  And no, I am not going on a rant.  The tea is Assam Breeze from Teavana and it is a very attractive tea, a fine mix of brown and gold.    The dry aroma is chocolate-y with a twist of lime.

I brewed it a bit light, with boiling water for 3.5 minutes.  The result is a medium amber cup that is very, very pleasant.  Nothing special, no particular nuances or tastes.  I had it with cream and felt very cozy.  It is perhaps like the teas I had as a child, milky, soft and surrounded with love.  I am sorry this tea is discontinued, but I know there are other sources for some very nice Assam teas, so I won't cry too hard.

The weather here is finally moderating and our temperatures are just upper 70's, perhaps low 80's, with little or no humidity.  Summer as it should be, in my book.

I have also been drinking "Ice Tea Blend" from our local tea shop, Serendipity.  I think she may get it from Metropolitan Teas, a big wholesaler.  It is so accommodating.  I put it in the pitcher in the morning yesterday and forgot about it until this morning and it's lovely.  Usually, overnight is about all you should do with black teas.  It is mild and on the plain side, with teas from about 7 countries.  I like my ice tea to be gentle, whereas Himself likes it strong enough to carry bricks and then he puts milk in it!  As you might imagine, we always have 2 pitchers of ice tea going.

A lot of trees are beginning to show color.  Or maybe they are dying from heat and drought stress, although the latter usually takes 2-4 years.  The canopy was much thinner this year, as well.  The stream that comes out of our bog is the very merest trickle, hardly worth mentioning.  I have heard that bears up in the Adirondacks are breaking into houses in search of food, as the drought has produced so little for them.  I don't think it is that bad here, but I noticed that blackberries that are generally half a thumb size are only pinky sized.Quite the reverse from last year's overwhelming rains.

How's this for a cool relicry?

Tea Among the Lilies

Another hot day in the old town!  Seems to be everybody's story.  While I am not usually a flavored tea fan, I reviewed one a while ago I thought was excellent - Nirvana from the American Tea Room.  I have carefully saved it for the summer, thinking it would make an excellent ice tea for me, as I prefer green or Oolong iced instead of blacks.  This is billed as "A heavenly blend of Japanese Sencha with rose petals, berries, figs and kiwi"  Supposedly  "The perfect tea for inner reflection"  I don't know about that, I am not a particularly reflective person.

However, this is  scrumptious iced.  I put about 9 teaspoons in my sort of 2 quart pitcher and poured over cold water, sealed it with plastic wrap and stuck it in the fridge.  4 hours later, there is a lovely cool, pale green liquid begging to be drunk.  Who am I to quibble?  Unlike the hot tea, it is impossible to single out and one flavor.  It is perhaps closest to a fruity bubblegum, with the barest hint of perfume.  A touch of lemon juice raises it to sublime.  I may even buy more.  Maybe I'll even begin some reflection.

At the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas, the Best New Product is based on the cold brew tea method. It comes fro Swirl Tea and it is a small packet of tea in a paper container with thousands of holes.  Insert into ice cold water bottle, shake for a minute and there you have it.  There are 4 flavors - Original, Mango, Mint and Peach.  I haven't tried it yet, but if I see some, I'll get it and let you know.  There are several other companies coming out with similar products, most of which are fairly well-reviewed by others.

My daylilies are so absolutely beautiful.  Most of them are in the pink/peach/apricot/nectarine shades, but near the front door they have shaded into reds and yellows, crowned with 3 huge "spider" form dayliies in lovely yellow, one streaked with red, another fragrant and the third just a beautiful huge soft yellow.  Coupled with the allysum at their feet, going out the door is a heady experience.  Tonight I am planting some miniature German Bearded Iris I just got in the mail.  I am completely won over by these little gems, which follow on the heels of the other miniature iris in bloom sequence.  I also got a stupendous red Japanese iris called Shogun.  Lots of big adjectives today.

Just Peachy

I must have been thirsty when I was at the store.  I saw some Tazo Giant Peach Green Tea in bottles by the register and I just had to try it.  Especially since it was on sale.  I didn't even read the label.  When I got it home, I discovered it had sugar, apple juice, peach juice, natural peach flavor, concentrated peach juice, ginger juice and citric acid.  Goodness.  Oh yes, water and green tea.  Can't forget the tea.

In spite of all that, I stuck it in the fridge and I am now drinking it.  It is very tasty and I like it a lot.  However, I don't know how they can call this green tea.  There simply isn't any tea flavor, except for the very barest whisker, maybe, far off in the distance.  However, if you like peach juice that isn't overly sweet, this is lovely.

I have 2 pitchers of tea in the fridge preparing themselves for the evening.  One is a green from DeVos Tea, Fresh Flower, and the other is a blend of Assams for Himself.

I saw a lovely weaving of wildflowers today, wild phlox, daisies and buttercups had entwined themselves under a wild rose.

I am quite annoyed with the blue jays, they really are doing their greedy best to keep all the goodies I put out for themselves.  A poor little downy was trying to hop on the suet when the jay flew down and landed exactly where he was perched.

We certainly do have a nesting pair of rose-breasted grosbeaks.  They've been here about 2 weeks and they take turns coming to the feeders.  They are quiet birds who just sit and eat for a while and then fly off.  We have lots of goldfinches - this year, the males are so bright, you almost need sun glasses to look at them.

Out Master Gardener plant sale was Saturday and we made over $3,100.  This was all from plants we had donated.  That is amazing!  Worth all the hard work.  The money is used to fund the programs we do for the community, like the community garden, container garden kits, books for kids and so on.  Lots of things.

If you were the Austrio-Hungarian Emperor, you, too, could have a life size memorial like this in your church, including lions.

Summertime, Summertime, Sum, Sum, Summertime

Have you all started making ice tea yet?  I have a stash of teas, some of which I reviewed here, to draw from.  The really strong ones I will make for Himself, I like the milder ones, like the greens and Oolongs.  My method is to put the tea in a tea sock , pour cold water over it and stick it in the fridge for 5-6 or more hours.  Always use a glass pitcher and put plastic wrap over it so it doesn't absorb "fridge flavors"

Summer is salad, right?  I have been making quite a few, using garden herbs as little sparks.  Sometimes I just grab them all, sometimes I am more pointed in my creation, using only 1 or two.  I have discovered that about a 3-1 ratio of Greek yogurt to mayonaise makes a very tasty dressy, as the mayo rounds out the yogurt.  I've been making what I call Italian potato salad, which is Himself"s favorite.  The dressing is a vinaigrette with Italian herbs and garlic. I use a combination of dry and fresh herbs.  The next one I want to try is a pesto potato salad.  Two of my favorite ingredients.  I am trying to figure out how to use my teas in the salads.  We already use tea leaves to smoke things and in grilling sauces.

Herbs can also be used to add flavor to your tea.  We all know about a sprig of mint, but there is also lemon balm, lavender, lemon thyme, spearmint, in fact, the whole mint family.  Borage flowers are a beautiful blue and add a tiny bit of cucumber taste. There are many types of basil, especially what is known as Holy Basil or tulsi, which make lovely teas.  The red leaved basil would be especially pretty.   Edible flowers, like violas, nasturtiums, and marigolds can add color and charm.

Fruit can add color and flavor to your ice tea, either fresh or frozen.  Add a few slices of peaches or nectarines, perhaps a few choice raspberries, strawberries or blueberries.  If the fruit is frozen, it can be your ice cubes.  It's very common to use lemon slices with hot tea, why not try lime or orange or blood orange?  The tiny Key limes would be very delicate.  I would try them with ice tea as well.  Well, now I must go and put some tea in the fridge.

Ballenberg:  The interior of a very small, very old cabin.  Note the cradle is closest to the warmth of the stove.  The builders were smart, they attached a covered wood shed to the house so the families did not have to brave the bad winters to get wood for the fire.  In larger houses, there would be a huge fire box in one room, with the wood, that would heat three or four central  stoves and hence, the whole house.  Always a pot of hot water on.

Another Swiss restaurant in Darstetten.

Good grief, the blue jays are having a hissy fit about something!  Such squawking and swearing!  One of this year's babies was yelling at a red-bellied woodpecker to either feed him or get off the suet, but was ignored.  However, his papa gave him a couple of thunks on the head to hush up and behave.

Finally, we have had something like the rain we need.  It rained most of the afternoon and night and some this morning.  We surely needed it.  It wouldn't hurt to have more.

 Have you ever seen a sphinx moth?  Officially known as a Hummingbird Hawk Moth.  They pretty much like the same flowers that hummingbirds like and their wings beat in a blur, like the birds and they also hover and fly backwards.  If you are not close enough, you can easily confuse the 2.  We have them both around our bergamot and sweet spice bushes.  It's so interesting to watch them.

In World Tea News I learned that the Japanese government is going to compensate tea farmers in affected ares for their losses due to radiation. I am reminding you that last year's Japanese tea is fine and any of this year's must pass stringent incoming inspection for radiation.

I brewed some of the Enchanted Forest tea I didn't care for hot as an ice tea and I must say, it really is improved.  The flavoring is softened and smoothed, so it isn't as assertive.  This I could like.

I just got some Nilgiri Tea from Mark T. Wendell and thought I would try that today.  The large twisted leaves are a pleasant combination of brown and black and smell wonderful, like fresh, earthy tobacco.  Nilgiri is in Southern India's Blue Mountains.  I brewed it for 4 minutes with boiling water.  What huge leaves!  The brewing scent was very roasted and baked, with a hint of honey.  The liquor was a lovely deep honey shade.  The flavor is very smooth, earthy, with a hint of citrus. It is nowhere near as deep as the aroma would indicate.  I can imagine this as a nice counterfoil to some afternoon tea goodies.

Music and Tea

This is an example of scherenschnitte, or scissor cutting, which is a craft indigenous to Switzerland and Germany. Beautiful, no?

Last night we had a real treat. One of my cousins was in town to participate in the 1st Ithaca College Alumni Band Reunion Concert - 187 musicians. IC is highly regarded for its music programs and this concert was proof of it. 7 conductors, 8 pieces and it was spectacular. I especially love to watch conductors and this was such a treat to compare their different styles, from almost flamboyant to barely moving. Just wonderful, wonderful music and only 3 rehearsals. His sister and I were thrilled to be able to be a part of it.


With the hot weather, I have been making pitcher after pitcher of ice tea. I generally use Lipton's Cold Brew as I am really unfussy about my ice tea. I think it makes perfectly good ice tea, especially if I add a bit of lime or lemon juice. However, I have also been making pitchers with my loose leaf teas, also using a cold brew method.

The most recent loose leaf was Adagio's Apricot Green Tea, which was a gift from them, and I have to say I was really pleased. I used ¼ cup of tea in a pitcher that holds almost 2 quarts and “brewed” it for about 4 hours. The resulting tea was a lovely lime green and tasted wonderful. It had a very full apricot taste with a pleasant green under pinning that was very satisfying. We had it with a Chinese stir-fry with an orange/kumquat sauce and it was all delicious. I want to try some Lapsang Souchong and see how it works. That would really be good with Chinese food.

For those of you who care about using Fair Trade tea or coffee, especially if you are part of a church, group or small business, I just found this website you might want to check out http://interfaith.equalexchange.com . There may be something there you can use. I have only had the coffee and it is quite good.