Summer Thyme and Tea
...Summer has officially arrived. It has been swelteringly hot, and the fans and air-conditioners have been running full tilt here in Ohio. Thankfully we have had some rain, and a few passing storms that broke the heat. Today is deliciously cooler with a stiff breeze that is keep the house comfortable without having to run the air-conditioner. This comfort level prompts me to think about tea and treats in the garden. One of my favorite pastimes is that of thumbing through my collection of herb gardening books. As I looked through one of my books about tea I found a delightful recipe that is perfect for summertime treats. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds great, so I will share it with you.
GREEN TEA AND ROSE PETAL POPSICLES
3 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons green tea (about 3 tea bags)
1/4 cups of assorted organic small rose petals.
After bringing water to a boil remove from heat. Pour the water into a ceramic tea pot and brew the tea steeping it for approximately 5 minutes. Fill the popsicle molds loosely with rose petals. Strain the tea as you pour it into the molds. Place the molds into the freezer for approximately 30 minutes. While the popscicles are still mushy in the molds this is a good time to more evenly distribute the rose petals in the molds. Center the sticks in the molds and freeze the popscicles until solid. Makes approximately 6 popscicles.
OPTIONAL:For a sweeter version, use honey to taste in the brewed tea. Go easy on the honey, though, as it can easily overpower the rose flavor in this cold confection.
JASMINE TEA EGGS
6 eggs, hard-boiled
3 cups water
3 tablespoons jasmine tea leaves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 to 3 pieces of dried tangerine peel, pith removed
Tap the shells of the hard-boiled eggs just enough to crack them. In a medium sized pot incorporate the water, tea leaves, soy sauce and tangerine peel over high heat. Lower the tea moisture when the tea begins to boil and place the cracked eggs into the pot. Simmer the covered pot for 3 hours. Remove from heat and allow the eggs to sit at room temperature for 5 hours or overnight. Remove the eggs from the liquid and chill for approximately 1 hour. Peel and slice the eggs before serving.
This is the time of year that thyme is blossoming in the gardens. The best time for teas brewed with thyme is now. Gather your thyme in the early morning hours to insure the strongest flavor from the essential oils in the plant. Made with the wild flowering tips, harvest two flowering sprigs to brew for tea. As recommended by Adelma Grenier Simmons, brew the green sprigs of thyme along with two teaspoons of black China tea for fifteen to twenty minutes. Use thyme honey to further flavor the tea once brewed.
Thinking ahead to winter, dry thyme for winter teas. Mix two cups of dried thyme leaves and blossoms with one cup of dried strawberry leaves and include two cloves.
Drinking a strong infusion of thyme tea is a remedy for headache. Its most famous usage is for removing the effect of drunkenness and to remove the pain from hangover.
These days most gardeners use thyme in checkerboard patterned walkways through their gardens. Planting a garden bench or chair with thyme was a practice of English gardeners. Sitting in the thyme chair wouldn't be such a bad "thyme out" in that case!
GREEN TEA AND ROSE PETAL POPSICLES
3 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons green tea (about 3 tea bags)
1/4 cups of assorted organic small rose petals.
After bringing water to a boil remove from heat. Pour the water into a ceramic tea pot and brew the tea steeping it for approximately 5 minutes. Fill the popsicle molds loosely with rose petals. Strain the tea as you pour it into the molds. Place the molds into the freezer for approximately 30 minutes. While the popscicles are still mushy in the molds this is a good time to more evenly distribute the rose petals in the molds. Center the sticks in the molds and freeze the popscicles until solid. Makes approximately 6 popscicles.
OPTIONAL:For a sweeter version, use honey to taste in the brewed tea. Go easy on the honey, though, as it can easily overpower the rose flavor in this cold confection.
JASMINE TEA EGGS
6 eggs, hard-boiled
3 cups water
3 tablespoons jasmine tea leaves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 to 3 pieces of dried tangerine peel, pith removed
Tap the shells of the hard-boiled eggs just enough to crack them. In a medium sized pot incorporate the water, tea leaves, soy sauce and tangerine peel over high heat. Lower the tea moisture when the tea begins to boil and place the cracked eggs into the pot. Simmer the covered pot for 3 hours. Remove from heat and allow the eggs to sit at room temperature for 5 hours or overnight. Remove the eggs from the liquid and chill for approximately 1 hour. Peel and slice the eggs before serving.
This is the time of year that thyme is blossoming in the gardens. The best time for teas brewed with thyme is now. Gather your thyme in the early morning hours to insure the strongest flavor from the essential oils in the plant. Made with the wild flowering tips, harvest two flowering sprigs to brew for tea. As recommended by Adelma Grenier Simmons, brew the green sprigs of thyme along with two teaspoons of black China tea for fifteen to twenty minutes. Use thyme honey to further flavor the tea once brewed.
Thinking ahead to winter, dry thyme for winter teas. Mix two cups of dried thyme leaves and blossoms with one cup of dried strawberry leaves and include two cloves.
Drinking a strong infusion of thyme tea is a remedy for headache. Its most famous usage is for removing the effect of drunkenness and to remove the pain from hangover.
These days most gardeners use thyme in checkerboard patterned walkways through their gardens. Planting a garden bench or chair with thyme was a practice of English gardeners. Sitting in the thyme chair wouldn't be such a bad "thyme out" in that case!
Yum! Thinking of making a food dryer this year. I would love to try my hand at dried currants and blueberries. Basil is finally coming on strong.
ReplyDeleteI have yarrow out my ears this years...... I do love the smell. In the winter when I feel a bit under the weather I mix a handful of yarrow and a handful of elder blow in a pot do hot water...... You sweat like crazy but it really helps with a cold. So thanks for the reminder to get my elder flowers dried this year..... One less thing to buy!