Hello Everyone!
I just have to share this little beauty, Strawberry Rose Cream Tea.
I don't know where the idea came from but it literally popped into my head one day and has been taunting me since, until today I said OK! I will make this one, and I'm sooooo glad I did, the flavors are sublime.
I googled this particular blend and could not find a single post anywhere about this tea using real strawberries, real roses and real cream. I did find flavored dried tea combinations, but that is not nearly the same as the real thing. We always prefer real don't we?
It is the simplest thing to make. All you need are fresh strawberries, fragrant rose buds or pure rose water, real cream and sugar/honey to taste. A clear teapot is wonderful to see the loveliness inside but is not necessary.
Put some water to boil. Cut up your strawberries, and some extra to munch on, get your cream handy, and the rose buds and/or rose water. I used both.....I like strong flavors.
I also used a single roselle bud because I've been drinking roselle tea with lemon verbena I have growing and it makes the most beautiful rose colored tea ever. It is a certain hibiscus plant.
This is what it looks like on the stem. I have several stems I bought from the farmers market and have them in a vase with the lemon verbena, and my bedroom is ready for tea anytime. I used one of these buds to color this tea a slight pink.
I have also added to my tea table, a pedestal bowl for fruits. Right now persimmons are in season, I love them, and some red grapes. Its a lovely thing to walk in to my room and have tea and fruit. I added a (candle) burner and a small glass teapot to heat up Japanese Sake, because I just love that stuff especially with the Asian dishes I'm getting into. I'm all prepared in here lolol
Last night I lit the candles because I love the ambience of night and candles and I love to see the tapesty lit up leading to a light portal in a magical forest somewhere.
And my white lilies are about to open up, they smell wonderful. I keep white lilies in the house all the time.
To the left I brought in some branches from the woods behind my house and put them in a vase with some faux cherry branches. These will not die and I love the bare branches. The candles create lots of shadows of the branches on the wall so it looks woodsy at night, it is enchanting.
Put the strawberries into the pot. I used 6-8 strawberries cut up, and about a tablespoon of rose buds. Once the water has reached a light boil, add it to the pot and wait 5 minutes. You can add the sugar/honey at this time to let it dissolve. I didn't want honey because it has its own flavor and could overpower the delicate strawberries and roses. You can also omit the cream but my inspiration was to have some kind of tea with these flavors and I wanted to use up the raw cream I got from the farmers market. I put about a tablespoon of cream in my glass and added the steeped tea. Mix and go to nirvana. I made a second pot, then a third. I'm out of cream now. sigh....but what a wonderful thing! I now have another inspiration of culinary delight and beauty!
Look at how beautiful this pale pink is. I put a rose next to so you can see.
Enjoy!
