Tea Time
Sitting down for tea should be an experience. Whether you are sharing a cup of tea and a slice of cake, with an impromptu visitor, or hosting a tea party, with various offerings, your guest should always feel that they are partaking of something special.
There are a few things to bear in mind, when planning a tea. First, you should use the nicest dishes you have. The pieces are not required to match, but they should all be pleasing to the eye. You want to set the most beautiful tea table or tea tray that you can.
I prefer to serve tea at the table, so that everyone is comfortable, especially since we are not all as gracious, as we might wish. It can be difficult to balance a tea cup and saucer, spoon, and a plate of goodies. If you do not have cloth napkins, use lovely paper napkins, of a high quality. You can buy a good package of napkins, and keep them for special occasions.
Tea parties are a wonderful way to celebrate special moments – I often have tea parties to celebrate birthdays, my own and my friends! It is nice to send out an invitation, as the invitation serves to inform your guest, as to what they should expect, and perhaps how they should dress, and it also helps to build anticipation about the coming event.
In regard to guest offering to help, you will have to find what works best for you. If I am hosting the party for a friend, I usually do all of the work, period. However, if it is a baby shower, or some such celebration, for a mutual friend, and others want to help, you should be open to letting them be a part of the experience. You can either suggest they come over the day before or a bit earlier to help put things together, or ask them to bring something. Make sure that you are agreed on what they are bringing, as you do not want to put out two plates of egg salad sandwiches. I think something like fresh strawberries and cream is a nice thing anyone can bring. It does not require much work, it is a welcomed addition to any spread, and it will let your friends help. You could also ask them to bake their favorite cookie, or perhaps prepare the tea cake – if you are serving one, something like a chocolate, coconut, or carrot cake. Or you might want to ask for help with a centerpiece or party favors.
I like to make place cards, as they heighten the experience. In my computer, I keep a list of my guest, with their first names typed in a fancy script. For special occasions, I print the names on vellum and create a place card with a simple card stock tent. For formal dinners, I have white place cards, which can be purchased at a stationary store. For Christmas, I have little ornament shaped place card holders, which brighten up the table, for a Christmas tea party. Beside the person’s name, you can also put little quotes, questions to serve as ice-breakers, little truth or dare kind of things, about the occasion, or your favorite Bible verse.
Party favors are completely optional. Any tea accoutrements, like sieves, or small packages of teas, or a single bag, glued onto the place card, little candles, bunches of flowers, like violets or a single rose, in a baby vase, or a special piece of candy – whatever you desire, but only if you desire, will brighten your table.
It is not a tea party without a nice pot of very hot tea – you may serve more than one type of tea, but it is not required. I sometimes make two different kinds, to be able to more easily accommodate the number of guest. Know how many cups of tea your pot will serve. Have water simmering, ready to be brought to a boil, for another pot. The hostess should always serve the tea, asking each guest if they would like cream or lemon. If you are serving at the table, after the first cup, people usually serve themselves the second cup, especially in the United States. If you are serving in the living room, where your guest will not have access to the table, except to set something down, make sure that your accompaniments are easy to eat, and that they do not require utensils.
In making tea, you first want to make sure your tea pot is clean, and not soapy. Bring water to a boil, and fill the empty pot. Let it sit, until you bring the next kettle of water to a boil, at that time, pour out the water in the pot, which is now nice and warm, add the tea, and fill up with the boiling water. Let the tea steep for three to five minutes, depending on tea and taste. In England, loose leaf tea is preferred, because the quality is richer, but in the United States, you will most likely use tea bags. If you are using loose leaf tea, make sure to have a strainer ready to use when pouring. Use one heaping teaspoon of tea per cup, plus one for the pot. You should offer lemon slices, milk, and sugar, with cubes being preferred but not mandatory.
As for the food, there is no set menu; you may offer anything you like. I like to include both sweets and savories, with the menu reflecting guest, budget, occasion, and taste. There are many excellent salmon sandwiches which I do not make, because Kate does not like fish. The foods should complement each other, but do not be afraid to try something new or different, just because it is unfamiliar.
I like to serve at least three different kinds of sandwiches, but if you are serving some other savory, like the Welsh rarebit, then you can serve just one type of sandwich. I find people like to try everything, so small portions are welcomed – they can always have a second serving. The bread should be sliced very thin, crust removed, and often a day old bread is best; as it will hold up to the spreads and allow you to make the sandwiches ahead of time. Make sure that the butter is at room temperature, before trying to butter the bread. You can also use cookie cutters to make shaped sandwiches.
For sweets, I always include scones with jam – strawberry and lemon curd are the most traditional, but as in all things, feel free to adapt your party to your own personal taste. You can also add a plate of cookies, shortbread in particular, and or a small cake. If I have nice chocolates, or some very special candy, I may put them out, though not necessarily on the tea table. Fresh fruit is also welcomed.
Remember to look through your recipes, for appetizers, when planning a tea party, as many of those items are perfect for tea, as is or with a small adaptation. I often make the Bocadito or chicken salad for tea.
Finally, I recommend nice background music for your party. What I will often do, is put in five CD’s, as that is what my machine accommodates, with the most recognizable music first, and let it digress to something instrumental that really does become background music, as your guest begin speaking with each other and the party creates its’ own life. Music should always complement your event, not be the main focus, unless you are hosting a recital.
As with every other element, the music should also reflect the guest list, and the hostess. My favorite tea party music is from World War II, the historian and romantic in me simply loves this music and I always think about people in the movies having a nice cup of tea, as the world falls apart around them – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Edith Piaf, are all good choices. Remember, you are creating an out of the ordinary experience. Enjoy!
Cucumber Sandwiches
It is important that you sweat the cucumbers before you assemble the sandwich. Simply peel the cucumber, slice it paper thin, and then line a colander, with the slices. Sprinkle them with vinegar and salt, and let them sweat for about an hour. After an hour shake off the liquid, and use a paper towel to finish “drying” the cucumbers.
Ingredients:
Cucumber
Butter
Bread – sliced very thin
Salt
Vinegar
Directions:
Cut crust off of the bread, and let the bread sit on the counter, to dry out – tea sandwiches are best made with stale bread or bread that you let dry. This allows them to hold up better, when served several hours later. You can save the crust to make bread pudding or bread crumbs, or you can feed the birds.
After the bread has dried, spread a thin layer of butter on both sides. Lay cucumbers on the buttered bread, top and cut diagonally.
Welsh Rarebit
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of Butter
Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
¼ cup of Beer or Dark Ale
Mustard – brown spicy, about a tablespoon
Salt and Pepper to taste
Bread – toasted very dry, I like using rye or sourdough
Tomato slices, optional
Directions:
Melt butter; add cheese and beer, over very low heat or double broiler. Add mustard and salt and pepper. Spread mixture over toast, and serve on individual plates. Or you can mix the ingredients in a small bowl, spread evenly over toasted bread, and pop in the toaster oven or broiler, until brown and bubbly. You can add a tomato slice, before you put it in the broiler.
Egg Salad Sandwiches
Egg salad sandwiches are fine addition to the tea table. They are easy to make, the salad will keep for days, so it can be made ahead, and they are very familiar, so everyone eats them with ease. The basic salad can be spiced up to accommodate your taste.
Ingredients:
Eggs – 3 hard boiled
Mayonnaise 2 – 3 teaspoons
Butter – 1 teaspoon optional
Mustard 1 tablespoon
Minced Onion – 1 tablespoon
Minced Celery – 1 stalk
Herbs of choice – I like a dash of Dill, Thyme, or Marjoram
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Bread – crust removed
Directions:
Boil the eggs, and peel. While they are still hot, add salt and pepper, fresh herbs and butter, if you so choose. The butter helps to make them creamier, but it is not necessary. Add mayonnaise and mustard to taste, and if you like, you may add either onions and celery, or neither. Mix well and chill. Make sandwiches, and cut in half.
Savory Sausage
This recipe is based on the best breakfast I have every eaten. I was in England, and was served fried eggs, bacon, stewed tomatoes, and sausage. In a pinch, I needed an additional item for tea, and decided to try to duplicate that sausage. In truth, it is nothing like what I ate in England, but it is very good.
Ingredients:
Breakfast sausage – links
Beer – ½ bottle
Honey – 3-4 tablespoons
Directions:
In a large skillet, add the sausage, and brown for a few minutes. The sausage can be frozen. Once it has started to brown add the beer, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and add the honey, and let it cook into a glaze. This really is a perfect blend of sweet and savory – there is never a sausage left; it goes great with tea and scones!
Currant Scones
This recipe is adapted from a Pillsbury Cookbook. Scones should be served warm, with butter, strawberry jam, lemon curd, and clotted or Devonshire cream, if it can be found. Your guest will choose their own combinations of toppings. I always include scones with tea, and often make them just for us, to be enjoyed for a late breakfast, with savory sausage.
Currants will keep for years, but they are not always in stock. I buy several boxes during the late fall; when they are readily available, to make sure I have them for the whole year. You can also store them in the freezer, but any air tight container will do.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose Flour
¼ cup of Sugar – I use a ⅓ cup
3 teaspoons of Baking Powder
¼ teaspoon of Salt
¼ cup Margarine or Butter – I use Butter
⅔ cup dried Currants – I use a full cup
1 small can of Evaporated Milk (5 oz. or ⅔ cup) – You could use ½ and ½
1 Egg
Sugar to sprinkle on top – I use the little packets of raw sugar
Directions:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, in either a large bowl, or a food processor, which is what I do. Mix well, and then cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly. If you are doing it by hand, use a fork, if you do not have a pastry blender. In the machine it takes about a minute. Mix milk and egg together, and add to dry ingredients. You do not want to over mix, just moistened all ingredients.
If working by hand, scoop mixture onto a well-floured board, and knead five or six times, and then proceed to shape. If working with the machine, you do not need to knead the dough, just scoop it out, onto an un-greased cookie sheet and press into a 8 inch circle, about 1 inch thick. Score the top, into eight wedges. Do not cut all the way through the dough, just about half way through. Sprinkle with the raw sugar, one packet should be enough and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
Options:
You could replace currants with some other dried or fresh fruit. Sour cream can also be used in place of milk – this is a nice substitute if using blueberries. You can make savory scones by adding shredded, sharp cheddar cheese, to the mixture, in place of the currants. You may want to sprinkle a teaspoon of thyme or marjoram or dried mustard, in the batter, if adding cheese.
Elena Ruz
This sandwich is named after the woman who invented it. She was a debutant who frequented El Carmelo, a restaurant in Havana, which stayed open all night. Elena asked the chef if he would make this simple sandwich for her, he did and she repeatedly returned. The sandwich is now quite popular and sold in restaurants in both Cuba and Miami, I find it a nice addition to tea; and it also goes very well with Cuban Coffee!
Ingredients:
White Bread
Cream Cheese – 1 tablespoon per sandwich
Strawberry Preserves – 1 tablespoon per sandwich
Roasted Turkey – 4 ounces per sandwich
Directions:
Remove crust from the bread. Lightly toast the bread; you will need two slices per sandwich. Spread cream cheese on one slice, and strawberry preserves on the other; add turkey, close sandwich and cut in half.
