Celebrating the Strawberry Moon

The Strawberry Full Moon in June prompted a strawberry themed afternoon tea. A menu laden with fresh sweet berries was on tap for the day. Starting with a pretty garland of red berries surrounding the tea list for the day, and lush berries printed on the menu. We offered a variety of flavored strawberry teas that included Chocolate Strawberry, our popular Blue Lady which has strawberry, kiwi, and coconut flavors, along with Eight Treasures which features pineapple and strawberry in a green tea base.

The first course was a yummy chilled Strawberry Soup garnished with thinly sliced strawberries, a dab of whipped cream, and a fresh mint leaf. Special thanks to friend Gail for the perfectly coordinated strawberry tea cozy. She has been gifting me with a tea cozy of the month, and June didn't disappoint. 

The sandwiches included a Strawberry Chicken Salad on Hawaiian Bread, a "Full Moon" Parmesan cheese toast, a Glazed Strawberry and Honey Bruschetta,  the petite tart shell held Strawberry Creamed Honey and Mascarpone, and our popular Sweet 'n Savory Strawberry Cheese on Pumpernickel.

A yummy Strawberry Drop Scone was served alongside the Traditional English Cream Scone with Sweet Cream and Strawberry Butter and a touch of fresh fruit.

The dessert trio included a Strawberry Jam cake topped with strawberry jam frosting, a Cardamom Sugar Cookie, and a ripe red berry filled with Almond Cream.

The 2025 Strawberry Moon was full around June 11th. According to several  Native American tribes that live in the northeastern Unite States, it marks the ripening of  'June bearing' strawberries that are ready to be harvested. 

Afternoon Tea at the Kate Pearl Tea Room, Sykesville, MD

A short journey south took us to the Kate Pearl Tea Room in Sykesville, MD where we met with a longtime family friend to enjoy afternoon tea. There seemed to be a buzz of activity in Sykesville on this Saturday afternoon, but we were quite content to spend our time in this quaint tea room.

This sweet place setting with ornate golden utensils and a rose folded napkin greeted us when we sat down. There was a list of four floral teas on the table, and the hostess brought two of the teas to our table.

Once settled, a colorful charcuterie board was offered. It held assorted fresh fruit; oranges, watermelon, blueberries and pineapple, along with sliced cheeses, crackers and pretzels. It was a sweet and savory way to begin our afternoon tea.

Our hostess brought each of us a plated white chocolate chip scone. A little dish of cream and jelly was offered to pass among each of us.

A petite colorful fresh salad, perfectly dressed was presented promptly followed by a small bowl of chilled fruit soup.

 A refreshing spritzer in a champagne glass was next up. The menu was from The Royal Tea and included all these different courses. It was always a fun surprise to see what was served next.

Tea time with family and friends is always the best time.

The tiered tray was laden with a wide assortment of sandwich and petite sweet treats.

The sandwich assortment included a miniature panini with ham and melted cheese, fresh fruit garnish, a pear-honey-and-goat cheese crostini, a flower sandwich topped cucumber and strawberry, and a roll with turkey and raspberry jam. 

The dessert medley included a raspberry lemon mousse, a lavender macaron, and double chocolate biscotti. The tea ended with a refreshing lemon sorbet topped with an edible pearl.

Please note: there are two Kate Pearl Tea Rooms, this one in Sykesville, and the original one in Westminster, MD. Our tea association held one of our meetings at The Kate Pearl Tea Room in 2019. We shared our experience in this blog post .

Farmhouse Cranberry Scone

Farmhouse Cranberry Scone

3 c. flour

1/3 c. sugar

2-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. butter (1-1/2 sticks), cut into small pieces

3/4 c. chopped dried cranberries (Craisins)

1 tsp. orange peel

1 c. milk

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Cut in butter with a pastry fork/blender until the butter forms small pea size pieces. Stir in craisins and orange peel. Make a well in the center of the mixture; add milk all at once. Stir until dough pulls away from the bowl. Form dough into a ball and turn onto a lightly floured board. Knead gently once or twice and divide dough into three equal portions. Form each dough portion into a ball, and roll out into a circle about 5" - 6" across. Cut the circle into 6 triangles. Separate and place each triangle onto a paper lined tray with 2" between each triangle. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425 degrees for about 13 - 15 minutes. Yield: 18 scones. Serve warm with cream and jelly, and a proper pot of tea. Enjoy!