The Tea and Hat Lady

Marcella Farina, known as The Tea and Hat Lady is the current vice-president of The Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association.  Marcella shares her knowledge and love of the leaf through lectures, tea tasting seminars, and general programs pertaining to tea.  Marcella tailors her programs to meet the tea interest level of the group while being both informative and entertaining.  As a Certified Tea Specialist, Marcella is educated through the highest level of the Specialty Tea Institute, and continues to advance her knowledge through tea seminars, workshops, and tea tastings.  Be certain to visit Marcella's Tea Journey blog, and join her community page on Facebook.  Let her know that Nancy and Susanna sent you!

Marcella shared two delicious items for the Eat Tea Pot-Luck at the recent MATBA gathering.  The first recipe, Wild Rice Salad, is adapted from the Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? while the second recipe, Matcha Mayonnaise is from Culinary Tea.

Wild Rice Salad

Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? 2010, All Rights Reserved

1 cup long-grain wild rice (6 ounces)
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. Earl Grey loose leaf tea
2 navel oranges
2 Tbsp. good olive oil
2 Tbsp.  freshly squeezed orange juice
2 Tbsp. raspberry vinegar
1/2 c. seedless green grapes, cut in half
1/2 c. pecans, toasted
1/4 c. dried cranberries
2 Tbsp. scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Place the wild rice in a medium pot with 4 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Marcella Notes: I altered the recipe by steeping two tablespoons of Earl Grey Tea in the hot water for 4-5 minutes prior to simmering the rice. Simmer uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes, until the rice is very tender. Drain well and place the rice back in the pot. Cover and allow to steam for 10 minutes.

While the rice is still warm, place it in a mixing bowl. Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, removing all the white pith. Cut between the membranes and add the orange sections to the bowl with the rice. Add the olive oil, orange juice, raspberry vinegar, grapes, pecans, cranberries, scallions, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Allow to sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Taste for seasonings and serve at room temperature.  Serves: 4 - 6.

The following recipe for Matcha Mayo was one of my favorite dishes at the Pot Luck.  It produced a beautiful fresh green color, and very tasty flavor served with vegetables.

Matcha Mayo

From – Culinary Tea, Cynthia Gold & Lise Stern
1 c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. matcha green tea powder
2 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)
1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives
1 tsp. grated orange zest

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl: whisk to blend. Cover and chill at least one hour before using, to give flavors a chance to meld. Yield: 1 cup