Earl Grey Tea

Assorted Refined Sandwiches:

Cucumber/Watercress

Cream Cheese and Chutney

Smoked Salmon/Capers

Smoked chicken/Arugula/Curry Mayonnaise

Stilton cheese and apple

Currant Scones

Lemon Poundcake

Fresh Berries (if still in season)

Grapes (seedless Red or Green or Champagne variety if available)

Devonshire Cream

BREWING TEA

Earl Grey is my favorite tea, but you can use any tea you prefer.

Fill a water kettle with fresh, cold water (used bottled water if your tap water is not great) and bring to a rolling boil. Swirl a small amount of the boiling in the teapot (preferably porcelain or china) and then pour it out. Measure one teaspoon of loose tea for every cup you want to brew. Place loose tea in the warmed teapot (or use a tea infusing basket). Remove the water kettle from the heat source and pour the boiling water over the tea leaves. Put the lid on the teapot and allow the tea leaves to steep for 3 or 4 minutes. You can also use a "tea cozy" - a quilted cover made exclusively for keeping tea pots hot.

When ready to serve the tea, use a tea strainer over each cup and pour the tea allowing the tea leaves to be caught by the strainer. If using a tea infusing basket, remove before pouring the tea.

You may serve milk, sugar or thin lemon slices with the tea. Serious tea drinkers don't use sugar as they feel the sweetness covers up the natural taste of the tea. Only milk is added.

Note: used tea leaves are sometimes used as a fertilizer -- added to the garden soil.

Click here for The History of Tea for more information.

TEA SANDWICHES

All of these sandwich recipes can be made several hours ahead, and covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Cucumber/Watercress: Use English or Japanese variety of cucumber. Thinly sliced, these varieties of cucumber do not need to be peeled, just washed. If not, peel and remove seeds from a regular cucumber. Cut it in half, lengthwise, scoop out the seeds with a spoon and then thinly slice the flesh. Wash and dry at least 2 bunches of watercress. Remove tough stems and use mostly the leaves. Butter one side of 24 slices of a dark bread (whole wheat or pumpernickel). Arrange the slices of cucumber and watercress on 12 slices of bread. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover with the remaining 12 slices of buttered bread. Press down lightly on each sandwich with the palm of your hand. Neatly cut off all four sides of the crust. Then cut each sandwich in half - diagonally. And cut each half again -- leaving 4 triangular sandwich pieces.

Arrange sandwich triangles on a platter, garnish with additional watercress leaves.

Cream Cheese and Chutney: Use real cream cheese and store-bought Mango Chutney. Mix together an 8 oz. block of cream cheese and as much Mango Chutney as you like to your taste to make a spread. Spread this mixture on one side of 24 slices of a thin but firm white bread (like Pepperidge Farm). Put slices together to form 12 sandwiches. Press down lightly on each sandwich with the palm of your hand. Neatly cut off all four sides of the crust. Then cut each sandwich in half - diagonally. And cut each half again -- leaving 4 triangular sandwich pieces.

Arrange sandwich triangles on a platter, garnish with watercress leaves.

Smoked Salmon and Capers: Butter one side of 24 slices of deli-style square pumpernickel bread (found in the Deli sections of most supermarkets). Place thinly sliced smoked salmon pieces (about 8 oz. in total) evenly over 12 slices. Sprinkle about 4 or 5 small capers on each slice. Sprinkle a small amount of chopped fresh dill over the 12 slices. Cover with remaining 12 buttered slices. Press down lightly on each sandwich with the palm of your hand. Neatly cut off all four sides of the crust. Then cut each sandwich in half - diagonally. And cut each half again -- leaving 4 triangular sandwich pieces. Arrange sandwich triangles on a platter, garnish with additional fresh dill.

Smoked Chicken/Arugula/Curry Mayonnaise: Using a good quality mayonnaise, add about 1 Tablespoon curry powder and blend well. Taste and adjust by adding more mayo or curry powder to your taste. Spread one side of 24 slices of deli-style square pumpernickel bread (found in the Deli sections of most supermarkets) with the curry mayonnaise. Purchase a good quality smoked thinly sliced chicken (or turkey) and evenly place the slices on 12 slices of the bread. Wash, dry and remove thick stems from a bunch of Arugula and place one or two leaves on top of the sliced chicken. Cover with remaining 12 curry/mayo slices. Press down lightly on each sandwich with the palm of your hand. Neatly cut off all four sides of the crust. Then cut each sandwich in half - diagonally. And cut each half again -- leaving 4 triangular sandwich pieces. Arrange sandwich triangles on a platter, garnish with additional fresh arugula leaves.

Stilton Cheese and Apple: Butter one side of 24 slices of a thin but firm white bread (like Pepperidge Farm) Slice Stilton (if still firm) or spread Stilton (if very ripe) on 12 slices of the buttered bread. Peel, seed and thinly slice about 2 Granny Smith apples (sprinkle with a little lemon juice to prevent apple slices from browning) Place apple slices on top of the stilton cheese. Cover with the remaining 12 buttered bread slices. Press down lightly on each sandwich with the palm of your hand. Neatly cut off all four sides of the crust. Then cut each sandwich in half - diagonally. And cut each half again -- leaving 4 triangular sandwich pieces. Arrange sandwich triangles on a platter, garnish with small whole Lady Apples.

Currant Scones
(following recipes from Bon Appetit, April 1990)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 2 heavy large cookie sheets. Sift flour into a bowl. Mix in both sugars and currants. Add butter and rub in with your fingertips until mixture resembles course meal. Stir in enough cream to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until just combined. Gather dough into ball, flatten into a disk. Roll out to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut out rounds using a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Gather scraps and re-roll on floured surface. Cut out additional rounds.

Transfer rounds to prepared sheets, spacing evenly. Bake scones until puffed and golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool on rack. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Store scones airtight. Wrap in foil and reheat in a 350 degree oven before serving.

Serve scones with Devonshire cream. If your local market doesn't sell it, you can make your own:
Makes about 2 cups:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Can be prepared 2 days ahead, refrigerated.

Lemon Pound Cake
(recipe from Gene Hovis, The New York Times Magazine, January 1989)

To prepare the pan:

The batter:

The syrup:

1. Grease a 10 inch tube pan with soft butter and sprinkle bottom and sides evenly with the bread crumbs, tapping out the excess crumbs. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the two sticks of butter and two cups of sugar until light and fluffy. On a sheet of wax paper, sift the flour and baking powder and set aside.

3. Add the eggs to the butter-sugar mixture one at a time, beating well between each addition. Stir in half the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, and then the rest of the flour. Mix in the lemon rind, lemon juice and vanilla extract.

4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and bake for one hour, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.

5. While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine all the syrup ingredients. Heat until the sugar is dissolved, bring the mixture just to a boil. Remove from heat.

6. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes.

7. Cover the pan with a rack, invert pan and rack, and remove the pan. Cover with another rack and invert again to finish cooling right side up.

8. When still warm, brush the top and sides of the cake with the lemon syrup. (You may have extra syrup)

Yield: 12 or more servings

FRESH BERRIES OR GRAPES: Depending on the season and where you live, buy what are the best, in season fresh berries, preferably from a local Farmers Market. If it's the dead of winter and you don't want tasteless strawberries, I would suggest grapes. Place fruit in an attractive bowl or other container. Serve along with the Devonshire cream.

_{Copyright © 2006 Ann Hall Every}