Table of contents for May/June 2019 in TeaTime

Early summer ushers in warmer days, lush lawns, and beautiful blooms, all perfect backdrops for afternoon tea outdoors. Whether to celebrate a special occasion or a cherished friendship, teatime al fresco heightens the senses. A tea table placed outside doesn’t mean the fine china must remain indoors—quite the contrary, as several of our afternoon-tea menus in this issue and “The Tea Diaries” column on page 51 will demonstrate. And while we show hot tea with our tea parties and pairings, iced tea would certainly be refreshing instead if the temperatures are just a bit balmy. After all, June is National Iced Tea Month. In my early days of tea-drinking, it was only sweetened iced tea for me. Occasionally, I would have my tea hot, but it always had sugar in…

Joanne Fluke, New York Times best-selling author and Queen of Culinary Suspense, serves up a new installment in her criminally delicious series—plus more delectable recipes—as Hannah Swensen goes from idealistic newlywed to betrayed wife in a matter of weeks. And as another murder unfolds in Lake Eden, the proof is in the pudding. This extremely popular mystery series is set in the small town of Lake Eden, Minnesota, and features amateur sleuth–baker-owner of The Cookie Jar, Hannah Swensen.…

Lemon & Lime Cold Brew AHMAD TEA ahmadteausa.com • 800-637-7704 GLASS: Juliska Berry & Thread “Bright citrus notes shine in this cold-brew blend, making it delightful to sip on during warm spring and summer afternoons.” —Britt Stafford, associate editor Abaco Club Black Tea LOT 35  fairmontstore.com • 800-866-9566 GLASS: William Yeoward Jasmine “This blend of teas from India and China is smooth, yet brisk enough to invigorate the palate, and with a lingering sweet, yet oaky, finish. Marvelous!” —Lorna Reeves, editor Island Peach Coconut Green Tea SIMPSON & VAIL svtea.com • 800-282-8372 GLASS: Vietri Puccinelli “As the name suggests, the flavor profile of this green tea is stimulating, starting with lovely peach notes and ending with strong hints of coconut.” —Leighann Bryant, art director Spring…

Strawberry-Almond Scones Makes 16 2¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon bread flour, divided ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed ½ cup diced fresh strawberries ¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted ¾ cup strawberry yogurt 1 large egg, lightly beaten • Preheat oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. • In a large bowl, whisk together 2¼ cups flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut in cold butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. • In a small bowl, combine strawberries and remaining 1 tablespoon flour, tossing to coat. Add strawberries and almonds to flour mixture, stirring gently just until combined. Add yogurt, stirring until a dough begins to form. •…

Lemony Apricot Scones Makes 6 to 7 1 2/3 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour* 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened slightly and cut into pieces 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots 1 large egg, beaten 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon whole milk, divided • Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using fingers, rub in softened butter as lightly as possible until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Stir in sugar and lemon zest. Stir in apricots. Add egg, stirring with a fork. Gradually add ⅓ cup milk until a somewhat stiff dough forms. (If mixture seems dry and won’t…

Anyone visiting Oregon’s most populous city is likely to see slogans such as “Keep Portland Weird!” emblazoned on the façades of buildings as well as on pillows, posters, and T-shirts displayed in store windows. There is definitely nothing weird, however, about the tea culture that has blossomed in a region most often noted for its thriving coffee industry. While it is true that traditional venues where one might feel obligated to dress up for afternoon tea are well in the minority, this city on the shores of the Willamette River is teeming with tea shops, tea lounges, and the tasting rooms of well-known tea companies where high-quality iterations of the beverage are ubiquitous. Here is just a sampling of the tea treasures that await in Portland, the “City of Roses.”…

Carrie Golliher has a long-lived admiration for things most consider old-fashioned—beautiful linens, vintage china, designer tea gowns, and the like. So when she and her daughter, Melissa, decided to open a business together, she wanted to offer an experience that would transport customers to what she considers a simpler time. While Melissa wanted to open a gift shop, Carrie wanted to run a tea parlor. Together, the mother-daughter team decided to make both their dreams come true and, in 2006, opened Camella’s Remember When. “We want guests to have that feeling of leaving the modern world behind and coming into a world of beauty and peace, and to be among pretty things,” Carrie comments. “And what better way to do that than with afternoon tea?” The tea parlor and gift…

COVER Noritake Eltovar teapot ($399.95) from Replacements, Ltd., 800-737-5223, replacements.com. Northumbria Lowestoft and Queen Anne Marilyn teacup and saucer sets available for rent from Tea and Old Roses, 205-413-7753, teaandoldroses.com. Location courtesy of Leaf & Petal, 205-967-3232, leafnpetal.com. TITLE PAGE Page 2: Aynsley Viscount teacup and saucer set available for rent from Tea and Old Roses, 205-413-7753, teaandoldroses.com. Noritake Eltovar teapot ($399.95) from Replacements, Ltd., 800-737-5223, replacements.com. MASTHEAD Page 5: Johnson Brothers The Florentine Green teacup and saucer set ($25.99); Schumann-Bavaria Empress Dresden Flowers teacup and saucer set ($64.95) and salad plate ($49.99); Tiffany & Co. English King teaspoon ($89.95) from Replacements, Ltd., 800-737-5223, replacements.com. Purple floral runner ($9.99) from HomeGoods, 800-888-0776, homegoods.com. THE COZY CORNER Page 10: Royal Chelsea Moss Rose teacup and saucer set and Royal Kendal salad…

The Perfect Gift “Just wanted to let all know how much I enjoy the magazine, so much that I give my cousins and a friend one for their birthdays every year. It gives us a reason to keep in touch and let each other know if we have tried one of the recipes and how we liked it. We want to take an England trip together and do the tearooms and gardens. Your magazine has inspired us. Thanks again.” DIANE BARLEY via teatimemagazine.com Time for Tea Treats “I absolutely LOVE TeaTime magazine. I have used many recipes over the years. I’m only sad that there is never enough time to make all of them. One of my favorites for my gluten-free friends has been the Herbed Spinach and Squash Roulade…

May 5 Royal Ascot Tea 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Victorian Society Cal State Fullerton Arboretum Fullerton, California Cheer for your favorite racing Thoroughbred at an elegant black-and-white afternoon-tea gathering. Guests are encouraged to attend this Victorian tea party adorned in their best black-and-white attire and festive hats. This fun, themed party is $50 per person, or $360 for a table for eight. Proceeds from this event support the care, maintenance, and tours of Heritage House. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 657-278-4010, or visit fullertonarboretum.org. 10 & 11 Kentucky Derby Mother’s Day 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Tilted Teacup Brooksville, Florida Grab your most festive hats, and head for an afternoon at the races with a Kentucky Derby Mother’s Day teatime, perfect to honor the special women…

My customers frequently ask about the proper way to steep rare—and often expensive—teas sourced directly from small gardens in the East. In the West, we generally make a large pot of tea and toss the leaves away after one infusion. But my tea friends in China, Japan, and Taiwan would think this method naive. What is the difference? It all boils down to this: Traditional tea-making in the East focuses on cooler water temperatures, shorter steeping times, smaller utensils, and multiple infusions. Six journeys into the tea fields of East Asia over the past three years have allowed me opportunities to experience these tenents firsthand. My moment of enlightenment came while sharing tea with 20 women tea growers at a retreat in the middle of a tea garden, just outside…

Raspberry–Poppy Seed Scones Makes 16 2¼ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon poppy seeds ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed ¼ cup cold cream cheese, cubed 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon freeze-dried raspberries, crushed ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon cold heavy whipping cream, divided 1 large egg • Preheat oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, poppy seeds, and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut in cold butter and cold cream cheese until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in freeze-dried raspberries. Add ¾ cup cold cream, stirring until a dough begins to form. (If mixture seems dry, add more cream, 1…

THE JASMINE PEARL 724 NE 22nd Ave. • 503-236-3539 thejasminepearl.com The tasting room and tea shop at The Jasmine Pearl headquarters is a serene place where retail customers can see, sample, and purchase the company’s many loose-leaf offerings by the ounce, as well as several well-curated accoutrements and snacks. For an endearing account of how owners Heather Agosta and Chuck Bauman met, fell in love, and began their lives in tea, turn to page 57. TEA FEST PDX  teafestpdx.com The buzz about tea has given life to Tea Fest PDX, to be held Saturday, July 20, 2019, at the Washington Park’s World Forestry Center. This annual gathering, now in its third year, brings tea lovers of all stripes together for tastings, lectures, and other fun and educational activities. LAN SU…

Magical Brews Place Steam Waverz over your steeping tea and watch art come to life as the lovebirds inflate and flutter before your eyes. Available in nine designs. ($16.95 for set of 10, gourmetkitchenworks.com or 417-459-4273) Sweet Occasion Scented sugar cubes add organic sweetness and come in floral flavors such as Honeysuckle Chamomile, Lavender Vanilla, Rose Petal, and more. ($15 for package of 72 cubes, artisansugars.com or 800-923-6822) Stylish Warmth Insulate your freshly brewed tea in style with this pretty Midnight Garden Tea Cosy. ($22.99, erikastearoom.com or 908-670-2305) Blends Abloom Welcome summer with a flowery tea blend that contains dreamy ingredients like French lavender and creamy coconut. ($6.99, shop.teabytwo.com or 410-838-8611) Youthful Teatime Children will love hosting their very own tea parties with this charming set that includes a 3-inch…

With touches of gilding incorporated in this colorful floral design, Schumann-Bavaria’s Empress Dresden Flowers’ pattern debuted circa 1945 and endured for close to four decades. Its popular, multicolored motif was featured on more than one teapot form, most commonly a pear-shaped pot. This smooth, rounded teapot is a rarer iteration whose green bottom stamp indicates the piece was made between 1960 and 1970. Topped with a fruit-shaped finial, this timeless, German-manufactured teapot is a versatile piece for teatime festivities, especially during spring and summer. Rosy Details Spotlight the different blooms featured on Empress Dresden Flowers by pairing it with Royal Tettau’s Elegance Rose Pink dinner plates; Spode’s Billingsley Rose Pink salad plates, creamer, and sugar bowl; and Tiffany & Co.’s English King flatware. Verdant Shades The many hues found in…

It was a little girl’s dream—it was Madison’s dream. Ever since she was a little girl, she envisioned a fancy and fun bridal tea. With the help of some of the bride’s family friends, including myself, that fantasy became a reality on June 27, 2018, in Madison’s own backyard, with more than 40 guests in attendance to celebrate her upcoming nuptials. Her guests were fêted with a proper bridal tea. Guests sat at long, linen-covered tables set with festive teapots, teacups and saucers, sugars, and creamers. Kelly Phelps, a longtime friend of the bride’s family, created the elegant decorations perfect for this dream-turned-reality. Beautiful lace parasols with pink streamers hung from the pitched roof over the tables. Clear vases with baby’s breath and floral greens bedecked the tables. Candy Alexander,…