The Greenfield Restaurant, Lancaster, PA

We joined fellow members of The Royal Tea Club at the Greenfield Restaurant and Bar for a special Afternoon Tea coordinated by Chef John Moeller in Lancaster, PA. Normally, the restaurant serves lunch and dinner, but upon request, he prepared an afternoon tea for our group. There were 52 attendees on Friday, and since it was a sold-out group, a second tea was offered and 42 members attended. The Royal Tea Club is a very active group, offering special tea themed events throughout the year.

On display are several pieces of White House china. Owner and chef, John Moeller worked in the White House under three presidents for 13 years. 

Our place setting included off-white cloth napkins and tablecloths, and white china. The plate of sandwiches were already on the table as we arrived. Assorted tea bags and a thermos of hot water was also on each table.

The sandwiches included a large croissant filled with chicken salad that had purple grapes and pecans for a nice crunch. a petite cucumber sandwich with a sprig of arugula under the cucumber, a caprese sandwich with tomato, mozzarella, and basil pesto on the bread, salmon on brown bread with a dill garnish, and egg salad on pumpernickel and rye bread.

Once the sandwiches were consumed, a platter of miniature desserts was served to each table.

The array of desserts included a spice bar with chocolate drizzle, a small raspberry cheesecake, a berry tart filled with lemon curd, a chocolate tart with piped chocolate ganache, and miniature cannoli. It made a pretty plate of miniature desserts, and a nice variety. 

The members of the Royal Tea Club committee make sure that you are seated with your travel mates. We had an assigned table, and the three of us enjoyed this special tea (recent graduate, Angelica, blog author, Nancy, and Susanna's husband David filled in as Susanna had to work). We do look forward to returning to The Greenfield Restaurant to enjoy their culinary creativity at lunch or dinner.

Following the tea service, there was a presentation by Chef John Moeller regarding his career, his adventure living and training in Paris (without pay) and his subsequent experiences as a White House chef. He is very entertaining, and has many stories to tell. Readers of this blog might remember that we welcomed Chef Moeller to Sweet Remembrances as guest speaker at our Presidential Tea in 2020. Consider following the Greenfield Restaurant on Facebook. Also of note, John Moeller is the author of  Dining at the White House.

 

International Tea Day

By a resolution adopted in 2019 by the United Nations, May 21st has been decreed to be International Tea Day. It is celebrated annually to raise awareness of the long history and deep cultural and economic significance of tea around the world. 

In celebration of International Tea Day, we set up a sampling of a variety of teas and herbal tisanes in the Rosemary House and also in the garden under the pavilion.

In the shop, Susanna was offering Eight Treasures of the Shaolin. This delightful blend of black and green teas combined with pineapple and strawberry flavors was prepared as an iced tea since temperatures in central PA on this tranquil Saturday were well into the 90s. She also offered a hearty Assam tea from India and an organic Turmeric Chai tea laden with a variety of spices including cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, black pepper, and turmeric of course. This one was a favorite!

Under the pavilion, Nancy was serving Triple Mint Tea, a naturally caffeine free herbal blend that is a refreshing combination of peppermint, spearmint and catnip. This minty  tisane is a nod to our herbal heritage as it is a blend that mom created during the early years in Rosemary House. There was a Gunpowder Green tea to taste. The unique pearl shape of the tea leaves imitates gunpowder pellets, hence the name. This was a nice mellow green tea. And an Iced Tea Punch was also served, brewed with Harney & Son's Big Red Sun as the punch base, frozen orange juice and lemon juice along with some sugar produced a refreshing thirst quencher on this steamy day. The recipe is shared from a KY tea friend.

Linda's Favorite Tea Punch

Pour 1 quart boiling water over 2 heaping tablespoons of Big Red Sun loose leaf tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Strain. (for ease of use, we recommend Tea Saks to contain the loose leaf tea).

Remove and discard the tea. Add 1-1/2 c. sugar. Mix well until dissolved. Add the following ingredients: 1 - 6 oz. can frozen orange juice (thawed) 1 - 6-oz. can frozen lemonade (thawed)

and 10 cups of water. Chill. Yield: 1 gallon

Thank you for celebrating International Tea Day with us!

Another milestone! PSU Graduation 2022

How it started

How it's going

 Congratulations, Angelica! Penn State University, Graduation Day, May 8,2022. 

Double Major: Community, Environment, & Development and Spanish

The future is yours!

Peter Rabbit's Birthday Party Tea

Guests gathered in the tea room this past Sunday to celebrate Peter Rabbit's birthday. Although written in 1893, the tale of this mischievous bunny, authored by Beatrix Potter, was not published as a book until 1902. In celebration of this famous rabbit, we welcomed guest chef Faith Cohick to present her themed tea to honor Peter Rabbit. 

Rabbits perched upon each table, and could be found tucked around the tea room. Menus announced what each course held.

The first course featured Mrs. McGregor's Special Salad with Mixed Greens, Strawberries, Toasted Almonds, and Feta Cheese topped with a Fresh Lemon Hone Vinaigrette. Bottomless pots of tea were served throughout the day.

Savories and Sandwiches included Benjamin Bunny's Balsamic Blackberry Tart with whipped ricotta, Jemima Puddle-Duck's Carrot Cake Sandwich on Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Mr. Tod's Zucchini Herb Bites, Peter's Radish Petal Sandwich with Pepper Spread, Mrs. Tittlemouse's Sun Dried Tomato, Parmesan and Basil Whirls, and Samuel Whisker's Spinach and Artichoke Crostini.

The scone course included Miss Moppet's Blueberry Lemon Scone and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle's White Chocolate Vanilla Scone served with Peach Jam and Devonshire Cream and fresh fruit.

 The dessert plate held Mrs. Rabbit's Mini Bundt Carrot Spice Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing (complete with birthday candle), Flopsy's Chocolate Raspberry Cream Tart, and an Almond Bunny Sugar Cookie.

Special thanks to Faith Cohick for coordinating and hosting this special birthday party in honor of Peter Rabbit. We look forward to welcoming Faith as our returning Guest Chef in June. The next themed tea (already sold out) is a "Passport to Africa". We can't wait to experience her creative interpretation for this event!

 

Happy May Day!

This clever hand crafted tea bag holder was a favor at the annual Penn Cumberland Garden Club Herb Tea held last month. The sweet perfectly formed paper cone filled with flowers looks like the ideal petite May Day basket for the fairy folk. The tradition of hanging a May Day basket has long passed us by, but we like to reminisce about the joy of finding a sweet basket, perhaps from a secret admirer, gaily swinging in the breeze on the doorknob on May Day. 

For more about the long history of May Day baskets, check out this article written by Linton Weeks in 2015 for the NPR History Department, A Forgotten Tradition: May Baskets. Here's a short excerpt: "A reporter in the Sterling, Ill., Gazette in 1871 explained the seasonal ritual this way: "A May-basket is — well, I hardly know how to describe it; but 'tis something to be hung on a door. Made of paper generally, it contains almost anything, by way of small presents you have in mind to put in it, together with your respects, best wishes — love, perhaps. It is hung after dark at the door of anybody the hanger fancies. — Which done, the said hanger knocks and scampers."

Happy May Day!