International Scone Day - May 30th

The garden was abuzz with activity Friday, May 30th as The Rosemary House and Sweet Remembrances celebrated International Scone Day with style. Guests pre-registered to attend a Cream Tea on the hour throughout the day. With many rainy days before, the gardens were lush and green. With guests seated in the garden, under the pavilion, or in the gazebo, we hustled tea and scones all about.

Mostly local tea and scone enthusiasts, we did welcome a group of women that traveled from Frederick, MD to enjoy this relaxing experience.

Just as the event ended, the raindrops began to fall. In the meantime, many enjoyed a Traditional English Cream Scone and a Farmhouse Cranberry Scone with Sweet Cream, Lemon Curd, Raspberry Preserves and fresh fruit along with a pot of tea.

Happy International Scone Day!

International Tea Day - Tea and Honey Pairing

We celebrated International Tea Day with a Tea and Honey Pairing under the pavilion. It was a rather drizzly day, but in between rain drops we poured tea and sampled a wide variety of infused honeys and several creamed honeys from the local family run apiary Honey in the Hollow in Newport, PA. In the front room of The Rosemary House, we sampled a Blueberry Creamed Honey and Strawberry Creamed Honey on vanilla wafers. The creamed honey is thicker and spreadable and is the perfect option to serve with scones, toast, or pound cake. 

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Under the pavilion, we were serving an assortment of hot teas with a variety of infused honey to mix and match with the teas. We recommended Earl Grey with a lemon infused honey. Many of the attendees also tried the Earl Grey with the lavender infused honey and enjoyed that combination.

We offered Prince of Wales, a black tea with black currant flavoring, as another option to sample with the lemon infused honey. We suggested the Lavender infused honey as an option to taste with a Hyson Green Tea. Participants were encouraged to sample the honey first on a small spoon, let the honey coat their tongue and taste buds, and then sip the tea to enjoy the combination of the flavors. It was a study in how the tea and honey complemented, contrasted, or enhanced each other.

The Lemon Herbal tea, a Rosemary House specialty blend, was suggested to pair with the blueberry creamed honey. While the other Rosemary House blend, our Rosemary's Chai was paired with cinnamon infused honey. Guests were invited to sample the range of teas and mix and match with the various infused honey. Although the day was damp, it was the perfect afternoon to enjoy a warm sample of tea coupled with the unique infused honey from Honey in the Hollow. We have these specialty honeys available in the shop including lemon infused, lavender infused, cinnamon infused, and thyme infused in addition to the creamed varieties. Looking for recipes for the infused honey, check out Honey in the Hollow recipe page.

PCGC 59th Annual Herb Tea - A Plant Powered Herb Tea

Members of the Penn-Cumberland Garden Club and their guests gathered to celebrate the 59th Annual Herb Tea earlier this week. There is always a theme for this special event, and this year featured a Plant Based menu and a program presented by Rissa Miller covering the many beneficial aspects of following a healthy vegan lifestyle both to the human body and the earth we inhabit.

Simple centerpieces of fresh herbs and plants with a wisp of gauzy cloth draped down the table set the scene. Biodegradable bamboo forks and plant based plates rounded out the ecofriendly feel to the table. Members provide their own teacups.

Appetizers and Sips were served to each table. A Five Minute Mint Pea Dip with Crudités offered a refreshing start to the tea party. In addition, a Mushroom Walnut Pate served with bagel chips provided a hearty appetizer with a crunch. Two chilled options included a refreshing Strawberry Basil Water and Blackberry Lavender Fizz Mocktail. Both were very fresh and flavorful. English Teapots with hot Tummy Tea was served at each table. Tummy Tea includes peppermint, fennel seed, elder flowers, and linden leaves and flowers. 

The Herb Tea is served buffet style,, with two lines going down each side of the table. The same flowing cloth and assorted herbs and flowers graced the main table with varying heights to offer balance and interest. 

First up were individually portioned cups with White Gazpacho garnished with green grapes, dill weed and chives.

Two large bowls of hearty salads included a colorful and flavorful Edamame, Corn & Farro Salad with touches of dried cranberries, pecan pieces, cilantro and spring onions. 

The other large salad bowl featured a Lemony Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Radishes and Herbs. A fresh lemon-Dijon-maple dressing created a flavorful base for this salad.

The Afternoon Tea Sandwich selection included "No Tuna" Pita Sandwich with a chick pea base sweetened with pickle relish and capers for extra flavor. The other sandwich was a Rosemary White Bean Hummus Baguette topped with a cherry tomato half for an extra touch of color.

Vegetable Spring Rolls were stuffed with lettuce, basil, mint, cilantro, and an assortment of veggies to include carrots, cucumber, purple cabbage, and avocado all cleverly wrapped in rice paper. The Peanut Sauce was a delicious accompaniment to this unique sandwich.

Lemon Ginger Scones were created using almond milk, dairy free butter, and lemon juice. The addition of ground ginger and chopped candied ginger along with fresh lemon peel elevated the flavor of these scones.

The desserts included Vegan Carrot Cake Bites, Raspberry Lemon Shortbread Crumble Tart and Chocolate Zucchini Mini Muffins. All very tasty, very pretty.

And, after going through the buffet, the plate was laden with a variety of whole food plant based foods, healthy, flavorful, beneficial to the earth, and protein rich. Kudos to the many club members that accepted the challenge of preparing these vegan recipes, and a special nod to the organizers of this year's 59th Annual Herb Tea - Susanna Reppert and Jenn Hooper. The clubs motto is "Every Member is a Working Member", and it is most evident in the execution of this well planned event. 

Mid Atlantic Tea Business Association 20th Anniversary

Members of the Mid Atlantic Tea Business Association gathered in Gettysburg at the Garryowen Irish Pub to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the association. Originated in 2005 by Nancy Reppert of Sweet Remembrances Tea Room, Susanna Reppert Brill of The Rosemary House, and Janet Young of Over the Teacup, the association was established to advance the knowledge of tea through networking and educational opportunities for the tea entrepreneur. 

Members meet quarterly, either via zoom or an in person meeting typically held at a members tea room. Since the Garryowen Irish Pub offers Afternoon Tea, we gathered here for our celebratory meeting so that all members attending the meeting would be able to enjoy the special day. Our Welcoming Reception was plentiful with blueberry  muffins, chocolate chip muffins, petit mushroom quiche and rolled cinnamon puffs along side a variety of fruit. Tea bags and hot pots of water were available on each table.

The room was bright and cheerful with fresh flowers on the tables, and tea themed décor adorned the shelves. The waitstaff was attentive to our needs. Members gathered from near and far to celebrate this milestone celebration.

Karen Donnelly, President, Ann Ashcraft

Marnie D'Amato, Lin Henry, Eric Tice

Susanna Reppert

Susanna introduced our speaker for the morning, Babette Donaldson. Babette is a tea educator, writer, author of "The Everything Healthy Tea Book" and "The Emma Lea Books" and is the Owner & Editor of TChing. Her topic was 'Infuse your Business with Herbs and Tea."

Janet and Erin honored the founding members with a tribute to their dedication to the association, and  presented a gift from the membership to Susanna, Nancy, and Janet.

Erin Bradley, Janet Meyers

Afternoon Tea began with a salad that featured Local greens, cucumber, chevre, mandarins, and a basil-walnut vinaigrette. The tea bag selection on the table featured Irish teas.

Following the salad a thick and rich Mushroom Bisque was served.

The tiered tray held an assortment of Savory and Sweet options. The savory selection included a Ham sandwich with spinach, and an apple-onion-brie spread on wheat bread. There was a deviled egg pate on herbed crostini, and a Tomato, bacon, and Swiss puff pastry.

The sweets included an Orange Scone, a slice of Carrot Cake Loaf, and Rosemary Shortbread.

Each member was presented with a 20th Anniversary Celebration Tea Canister with the Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association logo engraved on the canister.

 

In addition, members received a tote filled with tea samples from various venders, a copy of TeaTime magazine, surprises from fellow members, matcha flavored Kit Kat, and other small gifts. It was a celebratory day for all.

 

Celebrating Mother's Day with Afternoon Tea

Mother's Day is always a popular day to enjoy Afternoon Tea and this year was no exception. 

The tables held the tea options for the day and the featured menu for mom's special day. The salad featured a Strawberry & Cucumber Salad with a herbed vinaigrette. Strawberries, cucumber slices and fresh radish were dressed with a vinaigrette loaded with fresh herbs from the garden such as spring onion, dill, and mint and seasoned along with cumin and paprika to create a colorful seasonal salad.

The sandwich medley featured quite an array of sizes, shapes, and textures. Starting at the top of the plate, there was a Rotisserie Chicken Salad in a Pastry Shell, Sliced Radish Round with Herbed Butter, an Almond Bacon Cheese Crostini, Veggie Confetti Triangle topped with a turnip heart, Sliced Turkey with Honey Mustard on Cinnamon Raisin Bread, and an Orange Hazelnut Sandwich topped with a mandarin orange. 

The scone course included our Traditional English Cream Scone and the ever popular Lemon Pecan Scones. Toppings included Sweet Cream, Lemon Curd and Raspberry Preserves served alongside a variety of fresh fruit including a strawberry topped with cinnamon sweetened mascarpone cheese and pistachio nuts.

The dessert medley included a Strawberry Rhubarb Trifle, a Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Buttercream, and a Glazed Toffee Bonbon. The desserts were all placed atop an adorable teacup shaped napkin.