February 12, 2014
Are you planning a Valentine’s Day tea? Here are a couple of menu ideas. Try pairing our Rose Congou black tea with: Chicken salad finger sandwiches Onion and cheese tartlets Fresh fruit & cheese platter Butter cookies (cut into heart shapes and dipped in dark chocolate) Chocolate covered strawberries Tartlets filled with lemon curd and topped with fresh raspberries Another delicious menu option features our Violet Rose black tea blend: Smoked salmon sandwiches Cheddar scones with cream cheese Tomato and egg salad sandwiches Sponge cake with fruit and cream Red Velvet cupcakes Mini cinnamon buns
February 6, 2014
Looking for some sweet Valentine’s Day ideas try some of these fun pairings! Lavender Cream Chocolate Truffles will taste great with Simpson and Vail’s Victorian Earl Grey dairy, soy, and gluten free, vegan makes 12 large truffles, 20-22 regular size 8 ounces dark chocolate, divided 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk (canned)* 2 1/2 tablespoons** culinary lavender, chopped fine *Without shaking, open can of coconut milk, spoon out 1/2 cup of the thick portion at top of can for this recipe. **While this seems like a large measurement (and if you taste the infused coconut cream it is strong), once you add the dark chocolate the result is a subtle hint of lavender flavor. Chop 4 ounces chocolate. In saucepan, bring coconut milk and lavender to a boil, reduce to simmer […]
February 3, 2014
TEA BASICS Everything you need to know to begin your journey into the wonderful world of tea! The word tea comes from the Chinese local Amoy dialect word t’e (pronounced “tay”). In Cantonese it became ch’a (pronounced “chah”) Legend places the introduction of tea drinking to the reign of Emperor Shen Nung about 2737 BC. The first history book (and handbook) of tea was written in 780 AD, called The Ch’a Ching, by Lu Yu. The most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water, tea can be served hot or iced at any time and for any occasion. In the late 1700’s the United States protested high taxes and staged many protests (like the Boston Tea Party). This resulted in tea losing popularity in the US […]
January 21, 2014
January is National Hot Tea Month but maybe it’s also procrastinator month too because I’m posting this so close to the end of the month! Sometimes it just takes a little time to get through all the aftermath of the holiday season and this year was no exception. So what is National Hot Tea Month? It’s supposed to be a month where you broaden your horizons and try new teas and tisanes. I’ve been working on a new line of herbal tisanes – so I guess I can honestly say I’ve been keeping in the spirit of trying new tisanes. But let’s not forget that this can also be a time of revisiting old tea friends. It seems my tea drinking habits (at my home) seem to tend […]
November 21, 2013
Here are some great Holiday Tea & Coffee Gift Ideas for the Holiday season. And the best news … they are fun, easy & fast to create! Make your own teabags You’ll need: Tea Paper tea sacs stapler string paper markers Fill the Tea sacs with 1 tsp of tea. Fold over until the opening is closed, place a string on the edge and staple closed. Make a tea tag by cutting the paper into your desired shape (teapot, tea cup, flower, etc.). Write the name of the blend or the name of your gift person and any other information you would like (brewing information, information on the tea blend, etc…). Staple your tea tag to the other end of the teabag string. Put your handmade teabags in an […]
October 24, 2013
If you are looking for a new twist on an old favorite try our Smoky Tea Bloody Mary. This is the perfect time of year to enjoy a well made Bloody Mary. We hope that you will enjoy our twist on this one! The Bloody Mary’s origin is unclear. Known as a common “Hair of the dog” drink, erroneously reputed to cure hangovers; however, the alcohol only numbs the discomfort. The name “Bloody Mary” is associated with a number of historical figures — particularly Queen Mary I of England, who was nicknamed as such in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs for attempting to re-establish the Catholic Church in Britain — and fictional women from folklore. Some drink aficionados believe the inspiration for the name was Hollywood star Mary Pickford. Others trace the […]
October 17, 2013
Keep warm as the weather turns cooler with these easy loose tea infused fall recipes. Enjoy teatime with the Fall tastes of pumpkin, apples and spices. Delicious! PUMPKIN CHAI TEA BREAD 1 cup canola oil 2 2/3 cup white sugar 4 eggs 15oz can pumpkin puree 2/3 cup water 2 tsp Chai Black Tea (You can also use Herbal Chai Masala blend or any of our spiced teas) 3 1/3 cup all-purpose flour ½ tsp baking powder 2 tsp. baking soda 1 ½ tsp salt 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 9×5 loaf pans. Boil the water and pour over the chai tea. Steep for 3 minutes and then strain and cool. In […]
August 26, 2013
This is a great recipe for Green Tea-Lemon Basil Dressing from Culinary Tea by Cynthia Gold & Lise Stern, and simple to prepare. It works well on a green salad, as a dip for raw vegetables, or as a cold sauce for poached salmon, shrimp or other seafood. Here is what you will need: 1 cup steaming water 1 Tbsp loose leaf green tea leaves* 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice ¼ cup olive oil 1 Tbsp Asian chili sauce 1 cup chopped fresh basil 4 garlic cloves ¼ tsp fine sea salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp honey Pour steaming water over the tea leaves in a small bowl. Steep, covered, for 2 minutes, then strain, discarding the leaves. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 to […]
August 6, 2013
What is the History of Earl Grey tea? Earl Grey teas, traditionally, were blends comprised of varying black teas with Bergamot oil added to them. Today, any tea (green, white, herbal) that is sprayed with Bergamot oil is known as Earl Grey (such as our Emerald Green Earl Grey, Rooibos Earl Grey, etc). Every tea merchant carries an Earl Grey black tea blend, but they are all very different due to the variations in black teas used for the blend and the quality of the bergamot oil. Here at Simpson & Vail we use high quality bergamot oil. What is bergamot oil? Bergamot oil comes from the rind of the bergamot orange, which grows on the citrus tree Citrus bergamia. These trees are mainly grown for commercial use […]
July 9, 2013
Remember how much you loved Popsicle as a child, now you can can enjoy Tea Popsicles as an adult! The heat, or rather the humidity, is in full force here and I feel like I’m wilting a little. So with a little suggestion from our social media guru, Jeanene, we came up with a few cooling treats for the summer, Tea Popsicles. I’ve tried a few that didn’t work quite right. But that just means that I get to try, try again. And I don’t mind…really I don’t…. The winners so far have been: 1 tsp loose Iced Tea Blend Tea ½ cup boiling water ½ cup lemonade Brew the tea for 4 minutes in the boiling water. Strain and combine with the lemonade. Pour into […]