Recipes
Galaxy Pops
While ice pops are a classic, summertime staple; these are simply out of this world. They naturally get their starry night color from Butterfly Pea Flowers. This recipe was inspired by our Butterfly Pea Flower Horchata. Horchata is a Mexican rice milk beverage that is traditionally flavored with cinnamon. We made these pops a little richer using sweetened condensed milk to add creaminess. Additionally, we took some of the rice pudding base and pureed butterfly pea flowers that have a slight green tea flavor. A galaxy-like effect was created by pouring the creamy white horchata mix on top of the beautiful, deep blue, butterfly base. These pops easily freeze in Dixie cups as a mold. For the green Martian pops, we used some basil and lime juice. Treat yourself to one of each! They're sure to be the star of your hot summer day.To make this a completely vegan/dairy-free recipe, substitute cream of coconut for the sweetened condensed milk in the horchata mix.
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Piment d'Espelette Pan de Tomate
Tomato season is here! And this recipe is a wonderfully simple way to make pantry staples shine. While all spices are special, Piment d'Espelette has the terroir of Basque country. This rare chile is only grown and cultivated in the Espelette commune in France's Nive Valley. Espelette pepper is similar to a red hatch chile and is traditionally used for fish stews or as a black pepper substitute in dishes. We took sliced ciabatta and smothered the toast in grated heirloom tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil to make a perfect bite. Finish it off with a sprinkle of Fleur de Sel and Piment d'Espelette for a pop of flavor.Piment d'Espelette is one of the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) products which France certifies as having the true terroir of the region. This spice is as genuine as champagne from the Champagne region of France or Roquefort from Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. It doesn't get more time-honored than this!
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Mango Rooibos Iced Tea
Rooibos is an herbal tea from South Africa. It has delicate hints of caramel and woody flavors. Once steeped, it turns a gorgeous rusty-red color. We added aromatic Jamaican Allspice as the secret ingredient in this brew, having notes of nutmeg, cloves and black pepper. For a touch of warmth we added Cassia Chip Cinnamon and sweet mango puree to brighten your glass. Delicious, thirst quenching, and good for you; sipping this tea is a great way to keep cool on a hot summer day!
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Moroccan Watermelon Cooler
Temperatures are skyrocketing this summer. The Northwestern heatwave has us all trying to beat the heat in every way possible. This refreshing, thirst-quenching summer beverage has instantly become our new favorite. Our Moroccan Mint is a combination of peppermint and Gunpowder green tea — and tastes incredible as the base in this cooler. Hydrating watermelon, fresh cucumber, and tart lemon complement the tea perfectly. Add a splash (or two) of vodka and you've got a delicious, rejuvenating drink. Cheers to keeping cool!
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Tea Picnic
This post is for those of us who like the crusts cut off. The extra effort and attention that goes into making these beautiful tea sandwiches shows in every detail — the sweet shapes, the colorful combinations and, as always, the thoughtful flavor pairings. Make a platter for friends or a plate for yourself and enjoy a lazy summer picnic while the weather is fine. Since we're taking this picnic over the top, we've suggested some tea pairings as well. You can check out easy methods for cold brewing here!A bold curried egg salad is seasoned with our French inspired Vadouvan Curry, served on whole wheat bread and a cherry tomato topper. The flavor is deep and rich in this toasted blend with cumin, cardamom, mustard seeds, black pepper and fenugreek seeds. With a squeeze of lemon juice and watercress, these sandwiches go great with a malty Indian black tea like our Keemun black tea. For a cooling crunch with spectacular flavor, we seasoned the cucumber sandwich with our Orange Tarragon. This blend has chives, shallots, garlic and black pepper, adding many layers of flavor to the cream cheese spread complimenting the cucumbers. These cucumber sandwiches are anything but boring! Pair them with a cup of Rwandan Green Tea which is a vegetal green tea that will cut through the rich cream cheese and compliment the cooling cucumber. Because no picnic is complete without dessert, we made a sweet finish, open-faced mascarpone sandwiches. The creamy mascarpone gets its speckles from Madagascar vanilla beans that not only smell amazing, but go great with berries and a sprinkle of lemon zest. To finish off our tea picnic we paired a bold cup of Earl Grey with this sandwich. This classic tea is scented with bergamot, a perfect combo with the vanilla bean and sweet blackberries.
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Grandma's Lemon Wedges
You can never have too many lemon bar recipes, but this one is the only one that you need. This was my Grandma's recipe, and the stains on the recipe card are a testament to how often it's been made. Most lemon bars are made too sweet to cut the tartness of the lemon, but the addition of the glaze in this recipe balances out the sweet and tart lemon flavor perfectly. Sometimes I add poppy seeds to the shortbread crust or sprinkle sumac on top just for fun. These can be made in a square pan and cut into bars, but look pretty cut in wedges too. Make these and I'm sure that they will disappear as quickly as they always did in our home.
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Parilla Piñarita
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Citrus and pineapple combine to quench your thirst in this classic cocktail. Charred pineapple adds extra flavor by fire with a smoky garnish. As if all that wasn't enough, we rimmed the glass with our Limón-Chile seasoning. Inspired by the classic Tajin spice, this irresistible seasoning adds a powerful spark of lime and chili to each sip. Make the Parilla Piñarita your summer grilling go-to, it's easy to shake one up when you fire the grill.
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Limón-Chile Spiced Fruit
Our Limón-Chile seasoning deserved to be celebrated in its simplest form. With fruit! This seasoning goes great with summer flavors so taking advantage of fruit at its peak was a no brainer. This platter is full of color, flavors and texture. If you look closely at our Limón-Chile you’ll see the gradients of different shades of red peppers. It’s tart and salty making it a perfect compliment for sweet and juicy produce. We’re a long way from the streets of Mexico where you see venders pushing around fruit carts and showering the fruit with chiles and lime, but this platter is sure to add some spice to your fiesta.
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Lavender Blueberry Handpies
Turnovers, or hand pies, are great for a picnic dessert or breakfast pastry. These delicious pocket pies, stuffed with fruity filling, offer creative bakers a great opportunity to showcase striking flavor combinations. For these we chose blueberry and lavender. Because there is no cutting or pre-cooking involved, blueberries are our go-to fruit for making hand pies. Here, we simply tossed them in brown sugar and lavender to make a jammy floral filling. For a bit of decadence, there's cream cheese and lemon to make the rest of the flavors pop. The soft floral notes of lavender are the perfect complement to blueberries and are a wonderful flavor for spring, but it is easy to over-do. Try a little bit of the filling during prep and gauge how strong the lavender flavor is and adjust to taste.
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