Cous Cous Salad with Turmeric - Herb of the Year 2026

In celebration of National Herb Week, and the Herb of the Year 2026, which is Turmeric, we served a Cous Cous Salad at our Garden Tour this past week. Many guests requested the recipe. 

Cous Cous Salad 

1 cup couscous
1 cup water
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Bring the water to a boil, add the cous cous, turmeric and olive oil. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Add chickpeas, and remaining ingredients. Toss gently. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Chill and serve.

Garden Tour by Susanna Reppert Brill

Dandelion Cookies

Spring - and yards are bursting with golden yellow dandelion blossoms. Now is the time to harvest the colorful flowers and make a batch of cookies! 

Dandelion Cookies

1 c. butter, room temperature

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. dandelion petals (removed from flower heads)

2 c. flour

1/4 c. sugar

2 Tbsp. dandelion flower petals

Cream the butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until light in color and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing fully after each egg. Add the vanilla and 1 c. of dandelion petals. Add the flour and mix until the dough is smooth. Roll the dough into a log. Mix 1/4 c. sugar and 2 Tbsp. dandelion flower petals and spread mixture onto wax paper. Roll the dough log over the sugar and flower mixture, until the log is covered in sugar and petals. Wrap the log in the wax paper and chill at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the dough into 1/4-inch slices, place on parchment lined cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 10 - 12 min. until cookies are lightly golden.

Irish Cream Bundt Cake

A guest at our St. Patrick's Day event requested the recipe for the Irish Cream Bundt Cake. She said, "the pound cake was scrumptious. The texture was light and reminded me of old-fashioned sponge cake. The chopped nut topping was so good!". We are happy to share the recipe.

This was a recipe that a friend of mine shared with me many years ago (2002), and for whatever reason, I never got around to making it. This was the first year I decided to serve it at our St. Patrick's Day event, and I too, enjoyed the texture, flavor, and nut topping. To me, the texture of the cake was similar to a pound cake, the Irish Cream adds a pleasant flavor to the cake without being overpowering and the nuts on the top are the prize! 

Enjoy!

 

Pease Soup

As we celebrated the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, we served Pease Soup, which was a staple in the Austen household, using fresh summer peas from the garden. After our event this recipe was requested by many, and we are happy to share it here noting however that we used frozen peas.

 

Pease Soup

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 c. peas
1/2 c. water
4 c. vegetable broth
1/2 c. half and half
salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pan, sauté onion, celery, and garlic in olive oil, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add water, peas and vegetable broth and bring to a boil Reduce heat and simmer until peas are tender. Puree soup in food processor or with a handheld blender until creamy and smooth. Return soup to pot, add half and half, salt and pepper. Gently reheat and serve it forth.

National Chai Day - 2025

September 21st is National Chai Day. It is held in appreciation of the sweet and spicy Indian beverage enjoyed worldwide. Also referred to as Masala chai, don't make the mistake of calling it Chai Tea, as Chai means tea, so you would actually be saying Tea Tea. The combination of spices includes cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper, and can be enjoyed iced or hot. Years ago, we welcomed Aparna to our home and gardens as a volunteer. She would help with whatever needed to be done for the day, but when 4:30 hit, she spoiled us as she would prepare authentic chai. You can read her instructions on making Chai here from an earlier blog post. I can still smell the spicy concoction made with Assam tea, warming spices, milk, and sugar. Warm, spicy, sweet, and milky, it solved the mid day slump and brightened our spirits.

In celebration of National Chai Day, we are happy to share this cupcake recipe.

Chai Cupcakes

For the spice mixture:

In a small bowl, blend the following spices: 1/2 tsp. each ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamon and cloves, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Set spice mixture aside. 

Note: You will use some of the spices for the cupcake batter, 

and the rest of the spices for the frosting recipe.

For the cake batter:

1/2 c. butter (1 stick), softened

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1/2 c. cake flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. spice mixture (see above)

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 c. milk

Frosting:

6 Tbsp. butter, softened

3 C. confectioner's sugar

3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

3 - 4 Tbsp. milk

remaining spice mixture

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and 1-1/2 tsp. spice mixture. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approx. 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, mixing well after each addition. Fill 12 paper lined cupcake cups two thirds full. Bake 24 - 28 minutes, or until they test done. Cool. 

Prepare frosting, beat butter until flurry; beat in confectioner's sugar, vanilla and reserved spice mixture until smooth. Add enough milk until the frosting is desired consistency. Frost cupcakes.

Nancy's note: for the tearoom, she will prepare miniature cupcakes. This recipe will yield approx. 30 petite cupcakes. Bake for 9 - 12 min., testing until done.

Lovely Lavender Afternoon Tea

Our Lovely Lavender Afternoon Tea celebrating all things lavender in a delicious array of sweets and savories has quickly become a popular annual event. The menu and the tea list adorned with lavender graphic in shades of purple and violet quietly announced what was to come throughout the tea. Sprigs of long stemmed fresh lavender were tucked in the fragrant herbal centerpieces.

The fresh salad featured mixed salad greens topped with summer berries; strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, dressed with Blueberry Lavender Balsamic Dressing and dusted with Feta cheese. A refreshing Lavender Mint Spritzer accompanied the first course. 

The tea plate held a variety of sandwiches. Savory baked Lavender Artichoke Squares were served warm. A triangular Cucumber Sandwich with herbed cream cheese offered a fresh taste from the garden. The petite Lavender Blueberry Muffin was topped with a cream cheese rosebud. Sliced Turkey with lavender honey butter was the other triangular sandwich. An Apple Brie Crostini with a Lavender Honey Drizzle completed the plate. There was a crystallized long stem sprig of lavender as garnish. The candied sprig provided a bold punch of lavender flavor! 

A Lavender Sage Golden Raisin Scone was served with Sweet Cream and Raspberry Curd. The Fresh Fruit was served with a lavender honey dip. To make the lavender honey dip, simply blend 5 Tbsp. of lavender honey (available at the Rosemary House) with 2 c. of sour cream. Mix well and serve with strawberries, grapes, and other fruits suitable for dipping.

A trio of lavender desserts included a Petite Cheesecake topped with Lavender Lemon Curd and a pinch of dried lavender blossoms, a Lavender Mint Shortbread Cookie, and a White Cake with Chocolate Lavender Frosting. It was a yummy conclusion to the 2025 Lovely Lavender Afternoon Tea.

Strawberries & Almond Cream

A recent dessert offered during our Strawberry Afternoon Tea included fresh berries piped with almond cream. This yummy cream filling is delicious and decorative piped into the berry, or simply served over top of sliced berries. Enjoy the bounty of fresh summer berries with this special almond cream topping.

Strawberries and Almond Cream

1 - 3-1/2 oz. box instant vanilla pudding and pie filling

1 c. milk

1 c. heavy cream, whipped

1 tsp. almond extract

2 pints large strawberries, washed, hulled, halved OR, 

wash, remove the hull by slicing the berries so they sit flat, make a cross cut into the pointy end of the berries, but don't cut all the way thru. Gently pry the berries open and pipe the filling into the berry.

Prepare instant pudding as package directs but decrease milk to 1 c. only. Gently fold whipped cream and almond extract into prepared pudding. Served with prepared strawberries

 

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!

Blackberry Goat Cheese Flatbread

The addition of the fresh fruit and fresh mint leaves makes this a delightful appetizer.

Blackberry Goat Cheese Flatbread

2 flatbread crusts

2 Tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. plain goat cheese

1 c. fresh blackberries, halved if preferred

small handful fresh mint leaves, julienned

4 - 6 Tbsp. honey

Brush flatbread with olive oil and toast in 400 degree oven for approx. 8 minutes, or until toasted. Cool. Spread goat cheese evenly over flatbread. Distribute blackberries evenly between flatbreads. Top with mint leaves and drizzle with honey. Cut flatbreads into individual pieces, squares or triangles. Serve.

 

Dill Pickle Dip

This unique appetizer was served at the Penn Cumberland Garden Club Herb Tea in May. Anyone who enjoys pickles would certainly like to nibble on this spread with flat pretzel crackers. It would also make a fun and different sandwich for afternoon tea, although you might need to adjust the recipe a bit so it is easy to spread.

Dill Pickle Dip

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/3 c. diced red onion

1/4 c. dill pickle juice

2 tsp. finely chopped garlic

1 tsp. old bay seasoning

1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

2 c. dill pickles, diced very small (reserve juice, see above)

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, red onion, pickle juice, garlic, old bay seasoning, and pepper. Blend well. Add pickles and mix until fully combine. Serve with pretzel crackers. Will keep up to 3 days.

Savory Herbed Cheesecake

This savory cheesecake was enjoyed during our National Herb Week celebration in early May. The recipe has been requested - and here it is.

 Savory Herbed Cheesecake

1 - 2 Tbsps. finely ground bread crumbs

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. sour cream

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 c. chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. coarse pepper

Prepare a 10 inch springform pan by placing a cardboard circle in the bottom of the pan. Top with foil, allowing foil to extend outside the pan, attach springform side securely in place. Grease the foil on the bottom of the pan and lightly dust with finely ground bread crumbs. Beat cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add sour cream and mustard. Blend in herbs, garlic and pepper. Spread into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool. Carefully remove cheesecake from pan, and remove foil from bottom of pan. Serve with assorted crackers.

Shitake Mushroom Pate

Shitake Pate

½ lb. Shitake, coarsely chopped

½ lb. Button Mushrooms, halved

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ t cayenne

½ t nutmeg

2 - 3 T fresh lemon zest

1 t salt

½ t ground black pepper

2 T cooking sherry

2 T Balsamic vinegar

3 T hazelnuts (or substitute pecans), roasted at 350 for 15 minutes and coarsely ground

Sauté mushrooms in the olive oil and then add garlic and sauté another minute. Add spices. Put mixture in food processor. Add sherry and vinegar and process, being careful not to over process. Mix in the hazelnuts. Serve with crackers or crusty bread.

 

Carrot Zucchini Salad - a recipe

This week we hosted our Tea & Trivia evening event. Angelica researched the trivia questions pertaining to music of the 2000s and more. There was even a section where you were asked to identify the song by hearing only 10 seconds of the music. There was laughter and competition among tables, in the end, it was all for fun. The theme for next year promises to be 'sitcoms'. Before the trivia event, there was an evening tea. The Carrot Zucchini Salad was popular, and with zucchini in abundance right now, many asked for the recipe.

Carrot Zucchini Salad

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 small zucchini, sliced

6 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. green onions

1 Tbsp. chives

2 Tbsp. parsley, minced

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 tsp. dried basil or 1 Tbsp. fresh basil

1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce

Simmer carrots in a small amount of water until crisp tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, and reserve. When cool, mix with zucchini. In a small measuring cup, combine all dressing ingredients, whisking until well blended. Toss with carrots and zucchini. Chill. Serve over lettuce leaves.

And, sharing below a snapshot of the other courses for this casual evening tea. 

We served this festive punch at the Red-White-and-Blue Tea in celebration of the Fourth of July. It is a sweet, colorful punch with lots of fruit flavors. Hope you have an opportunity to make it this summer! You won't regret it.

Cranberry Tea Punch

3 cups sugar

12 oz. frozen lemonade

1 quart apple juice

2 quarts cranberry juice

2 c. orange juice

2 c. strong black tea, brewed

Boil 4 quarts of water. Add 3 cups sugar, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Chill. Yield: 2 gallons

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!

Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Bats

We've been celebrating Halloween during teatime this month. A quick and easy teatime treat are these Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Bats. They feature Pumpkin Pie Spice (available at The Rosemary House) which adds a lovely spicy dimension to the cookies, which perfectly pairs with Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea or a plain black tea such as Queen Catherine (both available at the herb and spice gift shop). Quick and easy to make, you'll be sitting down to tea and brown bats in no time!

 

Pumpkin Spice Shortbread

1/2 c. butter (no substitutions)

1/4 c. brown sugar

 1 c. plus 2 T. flour

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer. Gradually stir in flour. When blended, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead till smooth, about 3 minutes. I like to use a rolling pin that flattens the dough into a perfect 3/8-inch thickness before cutting out the cookies with various cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet, prick with a fork, and bake for 25 minutes, just until bottoms are beginning to brown. Yields about 20 (2- to 3-inch) cookies. 

This recipe was originally shared by Angela McRae on her Tea With Friends blog. She has graciously permitted us to share her recipe here. If you want to see her original post (Angela made fall leaves), follow this Tea With Friends link. Thank you, Angela!

The tea room has been decorated all month with a Halloween theme. These are a few of our 'going batty' decor. The gardens are haunted as well. If you're in the area, stop and stroll the gardens, if you dare!

Refreshing Sweet Basil Julep

Looking for a lovely refreshing drink? This Sweet Basil Julep was served after the garden tour during National Herb Week. It was received with enthusiasm, is easy to prepare, delightful to serve, and delicious to boot!

Sweet Basil Julep

• 2 Tbsp. minced fresh large sweet basil leaves
• 3/4 c. sugar
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Juice of 1 large orange
• 1 c. cold water
• 1 bottle ginger ale (32 oz.), well chilled

Combine minced basil with sugar and fruit juices and muddle gently. Chill in fridge for 2 - 3 hours. Whisk occasionally to make sure the sugar has dissolved. Just prior to serving, add water and chilled ginger ale and mix well. Serve iced, and, with a sprig of fresh basil as garnish.

American Fruit Bread with Rosemary

Debbie Hartman, of Thyme with Debbie has graciously shared the recipe for American Fruit Bread with Rosemary that she served at the Cooking with Mediterranean Herbs Class. Chockfull of yummy fruits and nuts plus the added boost of the fresh rosemary made this bread (served as mini muffins) a real treat. The muffin is very moist, but the addition of the orange marmalade with infused rosemary took it up a notch.

American Fruit Bread with Rosemary

2 c. flour

1 cup sugar

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1-1/2 baking powder

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

fine zest of one orange

1/2 c. orange juice

1/4 c. water

1 egg, well beaten

1/2 c. craisins, cut in half (or dried cherries or dried apricots)

1/2 c. raisins, cut in half

1/2 c. chopped dates

1/2 c. nuts

1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced (or more to taste)

In a large bowl, sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder together. Add melted butter and freshly zested orange to the flour mixture. Add orange juice, water, and beaten egg. Stir to blend. Fold in remaining fruits, nuts, and rosemary. Bake in a greased and floured bread pan at 350 degrees for 70 minutes, or until loaf tests done. Enjoy with your favorite brewed tea!

Figs!

We recently received a beautiful bowl of ripe figs from a friend. In the background of this photo is our fig tree and if you look closely, you can see that our figs are growing, but still very green. As the temperatures continue to drop, there is no way the green figs will be ripe enough for us to enjoy, making this beautiful and tasty gift extra special.

Deciding what creative dish to utilize these beauties was next on the agenda. The internet is a wonderful thing, and a source for many different recipes. I happened upon a relatively easy recipe, and one that consisted of ingredients I had on hand. Fig Preserves: chop a pint of fresh ripe figs (approx. 15 small figs). Place in a stainless steel pan with 2 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. honey, and 1/2 c. water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, reduce heat and simmer 15 - 25 min. until the mixture reduces and thickens. Remove from heat, cool, and add 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice. Pour into a glass container and keep in the fridge for up to a week.

  

We have enjoyed serving the fig preserves in the tea room this week. Little miniature tartlets were filled with soft brie and topped with the fresh fig preserves as a savory alongside tea sandwiches. We have also served the fig preserves with sweet cream to be enjoyed with oven fresh English cream scones. What a lovely fall treat with special thanks to DM for this beautiful gift.

Banana Chip Cookies

2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 c. quick oats
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1 heaping Tbsp. peanut butter

Blend all ingredients together. Drop onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Yield: 24 cookies.

This is a quick and easy recipe to make. The cookies are soft and chewy. And, if you only have one banana, the recipe is very easy to cut in half!