Have you ever wanted to capture the smoky fragrance of Lapsang Souchong black tea into something edible? Here is a delicious way to try it in an appetizer inspired by a recipe from Heidi Swanson’s cookbook Super Natural Cooking. Lapsang Souchong has a heady campfire aroma and provides an easy way to impart a wonderful smoked flavor to foods without having to go through all the hassle of actually firing up the smoker yourself. Here I use it to season a sauté of shiitake mushrooms and a bit of pulled pork packaged neatly in a spring roll wrapper. Feel free to substitute fillings with cooked shrimp or scallops or even tofu to name a few ideas. In place of Arbor Teas’ organic Lapsang Souchong, you may also want to try their organic Russian Caravan Black Tea. A blend of Chinese Keemun and Lapsang Souchong, it will have a less potent smoke factor.
For the dipping sauce I created a rich plum butter flavored with an organic black tea mixed with bits of real vanilla bean pods (check out the recipe here). Please don’t be daunted by the recipe if making jam isn’t your thing. It’s only meant to inspire. Purchase your favorite jam, chutney or marmalade; the results will be equally good.
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October 19 2009 | Cooking with Tea | No Comments »
Living in Michigan, I am fortunate to have in my community great local farms and orchards that grow a wide variety of berries and other fruits. Compared to our long, cold winters, however, the growing season always seems so short. For this reason, the greater part of my summer was spent making various jams, fruit butters, chutneys, and sauces as each new fruit came into season. This is my effort to preserve the bountiful harvest in anticipation of the winter to come. Popping open a fresh jar on a gray winter’s morning to spread on toast or spoon into oatmeal should do just the trick to brighten anyone’s spirits, encouraging fond memories of summer past.
Beyond the typical uses, though, jams or preserves or butters (or whatever you might have) can make a solid basis for a vibrant basting or dipping sauce – just add a little vinegar to temper the sweet or add chilies for heat and you are on your way to creating more excitement in your meal. In yet an entirely different direction, often I like to tuck dollops of jam into baked treats for use as pastry fillings. All this is to say that a lot of potential is sealed away in those little glass jars!
Perusing Arbor Teas’ extensive line of fair trade, organic loose teas, I came across their organic vanilla bean black tea. This tea is unique in that it is blended with large bits of organic vanilla pods. If you’ve ever purchased a vanilla pod (or even just enjoyed the flavor of genuine vanilla beans), you will understand the decadence of this addition. Immediately it struck me as a perfect match for the beautiful Sweet Vision plums I’d purchased from the farmer’s market to make plum butter. The organic black tea adds a welcome astringency to the tart-sweet plums and the sensual hint of vanilla does not go unnoticed.
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October 19 2009 | Cooking with Tea | 2 Comments »
Well, we find ourselves at October once more, which many of you know is National Fair Trade Month. And while sales of Fair Trade Certified tea have never been higher (Fair Trade tea sales more than doubled worldwide in 2008), there are many – both consumers and professionals alike – who still have only a vague (and often inaccurate) understanding of how Fair Trade Certification works. In an over-simplified nutshell, the Fair Trade program seeks to use market forces to improve the standard of living for producers in the developing world. While one could write volumes on the ins and outs of Fair Trade, we’ve outlined some key points below that (hopefully!) help give a reasonable understanding of how Fair Trade works.
- Two primary organizations are responsible for operating the Fair Trade program in America. The first, Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), provides the international oversight for Fair Trade efforts across the globe. FLO is responsible for establishing the internationally-recognized Fair Trade standards, and then certifying those producers who operate in accordance with them.
- The primary components of FLO’s Fair Trade standards are (excerpted from TransFair’s website):
- Fair price: Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products. Farmer organizations are also eligible for pre-harvest credit.
- Fair labor conditions: Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited.
- Direct trade: With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace.
- Democratic and transparent organizations: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers decide democratically how to invest Fair Trade revenues.
- Community development: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification.
- Environmental sustainability: Harmful agrochemicals and GMOs are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmers’ health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.
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October 03 2009 | Fair Trade | 2 Comments »