When we were spending a lot of time in England we found much to enjoy and have carried some of our experience with us for years. Tea in the afternoon is one of the English traditions we have continued to enjoy.. High Tea is a expanded version of afternoon tea accompanied with various cookies, scones, clotted cream, petit fours and finger sandwiches. This event is often called a Cream Tea.
Whatever the name it is an event that encourages conversation along with food that does not require knives and forks as essential accompaniments. The tea is at the heart of attention and several types might be served as points of interest with the food items
There are several varieties of tea that are a good start for sharing along with good friends in the garden or on the deck.
Without getting too complicated in reviewing the hundreds of varieties, a good start in preparing to explore tea is by checking out the three broad categories. The tea leaf used in about all types of tea is the same plant . The difference is mainly in the preparation of the leaves(oxidation).
Black Teas
Black Tea is probably the most brewed tea in America. Lipton tea is a black tea and the largest selling tea in the country It is inexpensive and available everywhere.. For a tea party it probably can be set aside for a black tea with a little more sophistication.
In our house Earl Grey is always present. Flavored with Bergamot the citrus touch adds a pleasant surprise to the combination of Sri Lanka and Indian teas that are in Earl Grey
At your Cream Tea you will not go wrong with either a pot of Darjeerling from India or Lapsang Souchong which is like no other tea. Lapsang is from the Fujian Province in China where it is dried over a fire of pine needles and has a unique smoky flavor
Oolong Tea
Oolong is subjected to less oxidation than the black teas and is personally a favorite. Oolong originally was exclusively a product of the legendary tea producing area of Fujian Province in China. Taiwan started producing the Oolong after importing the plantings from Fujian in China. I enjoy the Taiwan variety and give Fujian my Lapsong business.
Green Tea
The Green Tea varieties have grown in popularity in recent years. The popularity has stemmed in part from growing claims for health benefits derived from drinking the tea. Weight control is one of the claims which will attract attention to almost any product.
There is not a great deal of enthusing in our house for any Green Tea except sometimes iced on a hot day. The Green Tea is the variety that is processed the least with the shortest oxidation.
It probably wouldn’t be a bad move to have a pot of Green Tea handy for your tea party.
Its advocates sometimes have a bit of fervor that is different from a typical tea drinkers sang- froid.
At your party have a few varieties brewing and offer milk, not cream with lemon slices which enhance the Bergamot in the Earl Grey. Tiered Pedestal Serving Dishes are perfect for a Cream Tea. The petit fours, small pastries, scones and finger sandwiches are a colorful addition to the tea variety being offered. If you can find it, always include a Devonshire Clotted cream and strawberry jam for the scones.
Oolong fact: Oolong can be brewed several times and gets better with each brewing. Many think that the third brewing of the leaves is the best. If you have Oolong engage your guests to give their opinion of which brewing is best
Last weekend we hosted our Gourmet group. The hosts provide the main course and the members supply the accompaniments. There is always a surprise among the accompaniments and this time was no exception. Our friend Barbara provided a “Starter” that was an absolute crowd pleaser. It was an unnamed item that intrigued everyone with appearance and taste
Our group consists of fairly sophisticated foodies who usually quickly recognize ingredients. This was not the case with Barbara’s excellent offering. Since this is without a name you have a chance to contribute to the recipe by giving it a name and letting me know what you come up with.
Barbara’s Crowd Pleaser
Ingredients:
Focaccacia
Mayonnaise
Pesto
Sliced turkey (lunch role style)
Dried cranberries
Swiss Gruyere cheese
Preparation:
On a baking tray:
Layer a thin focaccia on the tray
Spread mayonnaise over the bread
Spread pesto over the mayo
Cover with a layer of the turkey
Sprinkle Dried cranberries over the turkey( sparsely)
Cover with the cheese
Put the tray under the broiler for a few minutes
Cut into serving size pieces(1 inch by 2 inches)
Serve out of the oven on the baking tray
I called this a California Crowd pleaser since Barbara came up with this dish while she and Jim were living in California. She really had no name for it. When you try it I am sure you will agree that it is great and certainly deserves a name. Send your suggestions to Buck Cooks. When you do the dish take a picture and send it along. At our party it disappeared before I could get a picture>
A grilled flank steak is a sure winner as a centerpiece of a meal on the patio or deck . It is a step or two up from hamburgers and is not as expensive as ribeyes but is generally enjoyed when it is right off the grill.
Flank steak is quickly prepared after spending some time in a simple marinade.
Here is our Flank steak routine that works well for us with attention to a few critical details
Flank Steak Grilled
Marinade
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoon fine dice parsley
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Preparation:
Score the meat in a diamond pattern.
Mix all ingredients and place in a glass dish large enough to hold the flank steak
Place steak in the dish for two hours in the fridge
Turn several times
Grilling
Leave steak to reach room temperature
Heat grill to medium high
Oil the grill
Place the steak on the grill( about 2 lbs for 4 people)
Grill for no more than 5 minutes
Turn over and grill for 5 more minutes max
This should give you a pink center
For medium rare do 4 minutes each side
Serving:
Let meat rest for several minutes on a warmed platter
Then quickly slice the steak across the grain– 45’ slant to the cut
Slice thin
Arrange on a warm serving platter
Tips: Have a very sharp carving knife ready when the steak comes off the grill
Accompany the service with your favorite steak sauce
The steak on the serving platter can be surrounded by roasted carrots and green beans.
For some reason garlic mashed potatoes go well with a grilled flank steak
We have been active recently entertaining and attending various dinners, BBQ’s and reunions with old friends. When events bunch closely together it sometimes presents a problem of preparation if a contribution of a dish is appropriate at the meal. This is a real challenge when there is a luncheon at one location followed in the evening for dinner with a different group.
The recipe developed in our kitchen (not by me) can be made in whatever quantity meets the needs of the events of the day. Not only is this a convenient answer to a busy schedule but it is a crowd pleaser whenever we prepare it .
We recently used this as our contribution for two events on the same day and were asked for the recipe by at least 7 or 8 people. Dorothy has kept this recipe pretty much to herself as she sometimes does with special items. So many friends requested this that I convinced her that including it in Buck Cooks was the only friendly course of action. Here is the recipe with a clear understanding that it was not my creation.
This is another of those cases where it was less than gently suggested that the Blog title should be– Buck Writes and Dorothy Cooks
Olive Tapanade
Ingredients:
½ cup pitted black Kalamata olives
6 large green olives- Jalapeno stuffed
2 garlic cloves
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Feta Cheese
1 tablespoon sundried tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a food processor except the cilantro
Pulse the processor with a few short bursts
Do not over blend. Make it spread able but not a paste
Remove from processor and add the chopped cilantro
Service: Place in a small ceramic bowl surrounded by wedges of a crusty Italian bread
Added Info:
If Jalapena stuffed green olives are not available add 1/2 a seeded minced Jalapeno to the food processor with pitted green olives
For a bigger crowd simply double or triple the recipe
If cilantro is not available use parsley
