August 27, 2012
Continuing on the theme of recipes “to incorporate all your summer squash that’s growing in your garden” – here’s another recipe using Simpson and Vail green tea and squash. The summer heat was blazing when I made this soup so I opted to cook it in a crock-pot. It kept the kitchen cool and by the time we sat down to eat it the temperature had cooled considerably. Green Tea Summer Squash Soup 2 Tbsp Japanese Green Sencha Tea 6 cups water 1 cup chopped onions 2 cloves minced garlic 2 cups chopped yellow squash 2 cups chopped zucchini 3/4 cup chopped celery 2 cups chopped potatoes 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 tsp salt, or to taste 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped 2 Tbsp fresh parley, chopped 1 […]
August 24, 2012
The weather is starting to cool off here in the northeast. Thankfully it’s still warm enough to enjoy a nice glass of iced tea made with Simpson and Vail loose tea and some pickings from the garden. In addition to summer squash growing profusely, I seem to have an over abundance of basil plants this year. SOME people here may say I have a slight “problem” that may require therapy, and I readily agree that the basil is a little out of control this year. In my defense though, I saw a little woodchuck in the Spring and I may have over-reacted when I started putting seeds in the raised beds. Who knew that ALL the seeds would grow and that no creatures would visit the garden! So I potted basil […]
July 26, 2012
“Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? …” Well mine is growing quite abundantly! If you’re like me you’re swimming right about now in yellow squash and zucchini. And you may be searching recipes for some fun, new ways to cook them. And broccoli, onions, herbs….. If your pantry, like mine, also has a lot of Simpson & Vail tea in it – why not have some creative kitchen fun? Last night was pesto pizza, 2 nights ago was this sauteed Summer Squash with rice (see recipe below). Tonight will be Summer Vegetable Soup, which is in the crockpot right now. Summer Squash, Basil and Green Tea Sauce: 4 Tbsp butter 2 tsp green tea (I used Organic Vietnam Green) 2 Tbsp lemon juice 2 tsp capers (or […]
July 15, 2012
Here’s a yummy recipe for a wonderful loose iced tea that’s helping me battle the heat today! Today’s recipe is for Simpson And Vail Burgundy Blast Iced Tea. Place 6 teaspoons of Burgundy Blast Herbal Tisane in a 6 cup teapot (32 oz) and pour boiling water over the herbs. Steep 5 minutes. Strain out the herbs and let the tea cool a little. Pour about 1/2 the teapot into ice cube trays and freeze. Cool the remaining tea in the pot. When the cubes are fozen, place in a tall glass with a few teaspoons of orange-mango simple syrup* and pour in the tea. Top with a mint sprig and enjoy! This is a cooling, refreshing beverage that will quench your thirst on a hot summer day! *Orange Mango Simple […]
May 24, 2012
There’s no denying it – it’s iced tea weather! I was in a Thai restaurant a little while ago with my friend Carol and we both tried their Jasmine iced tea with lunch. It was delicious – light and delicate with a little sweetness and a more subtle taste of Jasmine. I thought the recipe below would come close to it. Jasmine Tea Syrup: 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 tsp Dragon Phoenix Pearl Jasmine In a small saucepan, over medium heat, gently heat and dissolve the sugar in the water. Add the tea and steep 1.5 minutes. S train the tea leaves. Chill the syrup and add a little in your next glass of iced tea! Enjoy!
April 25, 2012
Many of our Simpson and Vail customers are huge fans of both the taste and flavor as well as the benefits of our loose Rooibos tea. The question is, are the health claims true? Researchers in South Africa (Professor Maryna van de Venter of the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and her colleague, Dr Trevor Koekemoer, at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University), funded by the South African Rooibos Council, are currently studying Rooibos’ effects on the aging process. The thought for many years has been that the antioxidants in Rooibos bind with free radicals preventing them from damaging cells. Certainly European and South African cosmetic companies think this may be true as well, since Rooibos is found as an ingredient in many skin care products overseas. Ten years […]
April 16, 2012
I made this loose tea rub, (with Simpson and Vail Loose Tea, of course), a week ago and finally got around to using it on some tofu I picked up. My partner in crime here in the house doesn’t want to be mentioned by name in this blog. So let’s call him Double 0 14 (cause, yes, he’s just THAT much better than 007′!) Anyway, 0014 and I don’t exactly have the same diet – he’s a carnivore and I’m a vegetarian. I used to stress about things to make for dinner, but as he so eloquently pointed out, he’s an adult and was able to fend for himself long before he met me. Quite true. So sometimes we end up making different meals and sometimes he’ll happily dive in to […]
April 9, 2012
Last night I was thinking that a little dessert might be nice. But I had already gone to the grocery store and I had forgotten to buy eggs. So I perused some recipes and found this one that I haven’t made in awhile and love. Recipe in hand, I took a stroll through my quite extensive tea cupboards. Off to the left of the 2nd shelf, jumping up and down, was the Simpson and Vail Burgundy Blast Herbal Tisane. Being conscientious I looked at every other tea before I realized that the Blast was, for sure, the way to go. So with my spice grinder I ground up 2 tsp of Burgundy Blast. And the rest was easy…. 1/2 cup melted butter 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1 cup flour […]
March 27, 2012
If like me you made the Loose Green Tea Recipe Sesame Ginger Garlic Dressing and had some left over in your fridge – it makes a great sauce for tofu. I took a block of tofu, drained it and then pressed out the excess water. Cut the tofu into 16 identical slices and marinate in the dressing. I marinated the tofu for 30 minutes. While the tofu is marinating in the Loose Green Tea Dressing, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with tin foil. Place the marinated tofu on the baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Flip the tofu over and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. I served this over a bed of brown rice and steamed spinach. Fantastic!
March 24, 2012
Rooibos “tea” is an herb that is also known as Red Bush tea. The botanical name is Aspalathus linearis and this herbal tea contains no caffeine and is reputed to have many health benefits. You can see some information on the Simpson and Vail Rooibos tea page on our website. At Simpson and Vail, we make blends with Rooibos, which you can also view on our website. Rooibos is a perfect herb to blend with – it has a slight woody, earthy taste that combines well with many other herbs and with tea, and it provides an excellent base for flavored blends. To some people Rooibos is a new tea, but Rooibos has been enjoyed by many people for over a hundred years. My parents were actually selling Rooibos […]