Summer Tea Party Essentials (minus the tea)

I just had friends over for a Jane Austen evening and I figured I should put up some recipes.

The first is typical tea sandwiches. I made three kinds. Mint/Cucumber, Olive Tapenade, and Dill/Salmon.

Mint/Cucumber:

* 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, rinsed, spun dry, and chopped fine
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
* 1/2 cup cream cheese
* 6 slices of white bread
* a 3-inch length of seedless cucumber, cut into thin slices

Directions: In a small bowl combine the mint, the butter, and the cream cheese and stir the mixture until it is combined well. Spread the bread slices with the butter mixture, top 3 of them with the cucumber, distributing the cucumber evenly and seasoning it with salt, and top the cucumber with the remaining bread slices. Cut off and discard the crusts and cut each sandwich diagonally into quarters.

Olive Tapenade:

* 1 lb kalamata olives, pitted (about 2 cups)
* 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 large cloves garlic
* 1/2 cup packed fresh Italian parsley
* 1/4 cup drained capers
* 2 tbsp lemon juice
* 1 tbsp dried oregano
* 3/4 lb feta cheese, crumbled or cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes
* 6 slices white bread

Directions: Put the olives, feta, olive oil, garlic, parsley, capers, lemon juice, and oregano in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Turning the machine on and off rapidly, pulse the ingredients a few times, then scrape down the work bowl and process continuously until the mixture forms a coarse but uniform paste. Spread on bread, cut off crusts, and cut into squares. You can also just buy olive tapenade (like I did. No food processor).

Dill/Salmon:

* Fresh Dill
* 100 mg Salmon lox
* Whipped Cream Cheese
* White Bread

Directions: Simple enough, spread cream cheese on bread, sprinkle with chopped dill, lay salmon on top. Cut off bread crusts and cut into squares.

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Next I served a Victorian classic: Lavender Lemonade.

* 5 cups water
* 1 cups sugar
* 12 stems of fresh lavender
* 2 cups lemon juice (or the juice of 5 1/2 lemons)

1. Boil 2 cups of water with the sugar.
2. Add the lavender stems (mostly leaves) and remove from heat.
3. Place on the lid and let cool (smells amazing!).
4. When cool, add 4 cups of water and the lemon juice to a pitcher.
5. Strain out the lavender from the sugar water.
6. Add sugar mixture until the sour/sweetness is even.
7. Serve the lavender lemonade with crushed ice and garnish with lavender blossoms.

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And finally, something I've been reading out ALL summer in L.M. Montgomery's novels: Plum Puffs. These were a hit, but I think that next time I'll just make mini popovers to fill with plum jam and cream cheese. This pastry was kind of bland.

* 1 cup water
* 6 tbsp. butter
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 tsp. granulated sugar
* 4 Eggs
* 2/3 cup plum jam (or any other fruit jam)
* 1/2 cup cream cheese OR whipped cream
* Sifted Icing Sugar

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a baking sheet lightly.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the water and butter until boiling. When the butter has melted, turn the heat to low, add the flour and sugar all at once and mix them in thoroughly (a wooden spoon seems to work best for this). Continue to beat the mixture over low heat until it leaves the sides of the pan, about 1 minute.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Add two eggs and beat (with an electric mixer!) the mixture until it is smooth. Add the next two eggs and beat again until smooth.
4. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet (The puffs will double in size as they bake.) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
5. Take the puffs out of the oven and turn the heat off. Close the oven door. With a toothpick or thin skewer, poke a tiny hole or two in each puff to let the steam out. Return the puffs to the turned-off but warm oven for about 5 more minutes to ensure that the insides are done. Remove the puffs from the oven and cool them on a rack.
6. When cool, gently split the puffs in half and fill each one with a spoonful of jam and a dab of cream cheese or whipped cream. When all the puffs are filled, arrange them on a platter and sift icing sugar over the top.