teaspoons & petals

tea granita: jasmine pearls, lavender honey & spearmint

As cooler breezes tangle with the warm air, I am beginning to feel hints of fall drawing near on a summer evening. Although as the sunshine is slipping, I am treating my taste buds to a refreshing treat that celebrates everything that is sweet in summer, a spoonful of my tea granita.

Earlier this morning I soaked up the sun while walking over to my my favorite local market in Philadelphia, Headhouse Farmers' Market, to purchase the last ingredient for my tea granita, fresh mint. Although the aromas of summer's bounties lured me in for a much longer stay, as I left with the spearmint and another bag filled with sweet corn, eggplant and peaches.

When I returned home, I gathered the three local ingredients needed for my summer tea granita, the spearmint from Weaver's Way Farm , a bottle of lavender honey from Busy Bee farm (purchased at last week's farmers' market), along with jasmine pearl green tea from my favorite teashop in Philly, TBar.

For those of you not familiar with this summer treat, granita is a partially frozen dessert that is usually made with sugar, water and other flavorings. I've added a bit of a twist to this traditional treat by infusing tea and using local ingredients. Jasmine Tea Granita With Lavender Honey and Spearmint:

• 5 cups of water
• 4 teaspoons of lavender honey
• 7 teaspoons of  jasmine pearls
• 2 handfuls of spearmint leaves
• teapot
• kettle
• blender
• 2 ice cube trays

Fill your tea kettle with cool water and heat it on the stove until the water begins to steam from the spout. Place 7 teaspoons of the Jasmine Pearls (hand rolled green tea that has been scented with fresh jasmine) into the tea infuser in your teapot. Pour 5 cups of the steaming water over the Jasmine Pearls (watch them delicately unfold as they release their fragrant aroma), and steep them in the teapot for 3 minutes. 

tea today: Kokomo's Pai Mu Dan Peach Blossom

Phew it's been quite the busy summer and I've fallen a bit behind on posting. Oh how I've missed sharing my tea experiences on teaspoons & petals! Although, I have been jotting down notes on new post ideas and even have a few interviews with fabulous tea people that I'll be sharing over the next few weeks...and a fabulous contest coming soon! While I've been busy writing for my clients, I've been deliciously fueled with fabulous teas perfect for summer, like Kokomo's Pai Mu Dan Peach Blossom.

Pai Mu Dan Peach Blosom Subtle and seductively sweet, Pai Mu Dan Peach Blossom will capture your heart without you even noticing. This superb white tea blend with a dash of Sencha and rose petals provides a perfect distraction from stress or when chilled, the overbearing heat of a mid-summers day. Pai Mu Dan Peach Blossom is an excellent white tea blend with a sweet, peachy aroma and flavor meant to be enjoyed both hot and chilled.

As soon as the hot water (around 190 degrees) coated the leaves, the steam gently filled my kitchen with an aroma of sweet peaches, the delicate smell of summer. The deep orange color vibrantly glowed in my glass teapot, like that of the the sun’s setting rays.

I steeped the tea for four minutes (2-6 recommended on the package). First sip, the peach flavor is fragrant and incredibly refreshing, tasting almost as if I bit into the soft flesh of a peach picked straight from the tree. The taste is smooth and slightly sweet. The white peony’s grassy undertones and floral notes blend perfectly with the peach flavor.

The floral notes from the white peony and rose petals balance nicely with the Sencha, which gives the first sip a grassy kick. Even though a 2 to 6 minutes steeping time was recommended, I was thrilled to have steeped for 4 minutes, which allowed the flavor of the white peony to bloom without oversteeping the sencha. If steeped any longer, the sencha might have become bitter and compromised the other tastes.

After each sip, the peach taste seemed to slowly build, as if it was blossoming in my mouth. When my cup was empty, the peach blossoms still lingered on my tongue .As I finished the last few sips, the white tea shared the flavor reigns, as it too took hold of my taste buds, coating my tongue with its sweet and smooth flavor. Although the white peony offered a delicate, sweet taste, it also had great body.

In an effort to sustain this white-peach-petal extravaganza, I am resteeping it and icing it down for a change. Maybe I’ll serve it in a glass pitcher with fresh peach slices tucked inside to offer a generous burst of fresh peach flavor. The perfect way to celebrate the bounty of summer’s fruit!