Beheld and Held by Holly

I have beheld and held (and poured tea from :-) the famous Traveling Teapot. And let it be known to one and all that when it left my abode it was in pristine condition. ;-) No chips, cracks, or blemishes. I retain no responsibility for what happens to it from this point on in time. :-) Talking with Marilyn and Jim I pondered what the likelihood was of the teapot making it back to home port intact in well over a year of travels (and if there is a replacement waiting in the wings... just in case, mind you :-). Just sayin'. :-) But anyway, so far so good....! May it travel well and safely.

Below are some pics from Marilyn and Jim's visit here for lunch with the teapot, though I just realized the only evidence of its presence is on Marilyn's camera, not mine. Marilyn said it was okay to share the personal shots.

_share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AZNXDNk1ZtVXcA_ 
(http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AZNXDNk1ZtVXcA) 

Several of the recipes came from the Harney/Pruess Eat Tea cookbook inc: the fruit, the green tea bread, and the two different spreads made with tea. Harney's Jasmine Pearls was in the syrup used with the fruit. A Harney's Sencha green was in the bread. Harney's Earl Grey Supreme was in one of the cheese spreads and The Phoenix Collections's Drum Mountain Clouds and Mist green tea was in the other cheese spread. Harney's Top Tieguanyin oolong was one of the tea ices and Candy Cane Lane's de-caf green/peppermint was in the other tea ice. We had quite a bit of tea in one form or the other that afternoon.

I can't remember if I told Marilyn and Jim that the Basil Lemon cake was a recipe Rainy shared with me many moons ago, and I have made this light and airy cake many times since. I meant to share that bit of info as it puts yet another tea friend there at the table. My tea friend Pat first made the roasted Parmesan and Parsnip soup, and that is a favorite of mine. I think it was Pat first made the Green Fruits in Jasmine Lime Syrup, too, if memory serves. I once made the green tea bread for her. This time we had it with cream cheese and a pear jam. The cookbook suggested an alternative of goat cheese and watercress which would, we thought, be nice, too. 'Twas Martha alerted me to the possibility of Marcona almonds and put me on their trail. A fellow tea lover from another list shared the Ginger Scented Pecan recipe with me many moons ago, and that has been a favorite recipe of mine for a long time.

Jim and Marilyn made it right under the wire to have a "respectable" and more traditional table setting with my Gram's Blue Tower Spode dishes. Starting yet this weekend maybe, the scene changes dramatically to incorporate a birthday theme I have planned for the youngest (we celebrate off and on most of the month of May)...we are going to be doing a Bigfoot/Sasquatch birthday theme. Complete with guest...hmmm, I wonder who that might be? The Wolf from Red Riding Hood was here last year, the year before that a pirate, and in previous years a skeleton sat down with us and even Mr. Bean made the 
scene once.

If you look closely, you will find that Peter Pan was in attendance for the lunch as well.

Menu below tho' perhaps Marilyn has shared it elsewhere too.


Menu
 
Prelude 
Harney's Green Fruits in Jasmine Pearl Tea Syrup with Candied Ginger and (Sencha) Green Tea Bread 

Main Course 
Roasted Parsnip and Parmesan Soup 
Harney's Tea Toasts: 
Cheddar with Drum Mountain Clouds and Mist Green Tea 
Gruyere with Earl Grey Supreme Tea 
Locally Made Chef Robin's Hummus with Carrots 
Cornichons 
Parmesan Cheese Sticks 
Tea: Iced Toasted Almond Apple Tisane 

Interlude 
Harney's Top Tieguanyin Oolong Tea Sorbet 
Candy Cane Lane Green Tea and Peppermint Sorbet 

Sweet Endings 
Bissinger's Spring Petit Fours 
Basil Lemon Cake with Fresh Raspberries 
Asst Cookies 
Tea: Harney's Top Chingwo Congou 

Nibbles 
Marcona Almonds 
Cashews 
Ginger Scented Pecans 


by Holly H-B