Herb Teas & Recipes

Recipes from Bertha Reppert, founder of
The Rosemary House and author of
'Growing Your Herb Business'

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Helpful Tea Hints Preheat your teapot by scalding or rinsing out with hot water. Always use freshly drawn cold water. Don't judge the strength by the color -- taste it. Allow the full brewing period. If you like weak tea, add hot water. Stir tea before pouring to insure uniform brew. Serve tea with milk (not cream) for true flavor. Or with lemon to point up its flavor, if preferred. Cuddle the pot in a tea cozy to keep your tea hot while steeping and during serving. ___________________________________________ Rosemary Biscuits Add 1 teaspoon minced rosemary to your favorite biscuit recipe for a delicious variation. ___________________________________________ Spiced Tea (this is a very old recipe) 1/2 lb. orange pekoe tea 4 t. grated orange peel 2 t. grated lemon peel 2 4 inch sticks cinnamon, crushed 1/4 c. whole cloves 1 t. nutmeg 1 c. slivered candied orange peel ___________________________________________ Herb Cream Cheese Add stems of chives, cut fine, into cream cheese and blend. Garnish with the pretty purple blossoms which are also edible. Serve on crackers. ___________________________________________ Honey Cinnamon Toast Toast slices of bread on one side. While still hot, butter the untoasted side. Spread buttered side with honey, sprinkle with cinnamon and place under broiler flame until brown and blended. ____________________________________________ Rosemary Coffee Cake 2 c. prepared biscuit mix 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 t. nutmeg 1 t. rosemary crushed 1 egg 1/4 c. salad oil 3/4 c. milk Stir only to mix. Pour into greased glass or earthen pie pan. Bake 25 minutes, temperature 425. Dust liberally with confectioner's sugar. ____________________________________________ Savory Butter 1 stick butter 2 T. mayonnaise. a good amount of summery savory leaves 1/4 t. thyme 1 shallot, finely minced. cracked pepper to taste. Blend. Let stand overnight. Serve at room temperature. ____________________________________________ Parsley Butter 2 sticks soft butter 1/4 t. grated onion 3/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped fine. Mix into butter and set aside overnight. Keeps well. ____________________________________________ Vanilla Butter Cream together 1/2 c. butter, 1/4 c. sugar, 1-1/2 t. vanilla extract and 1 t. cinnamon. Keep this on hand as a spread for hot breads. _____________________________________________ Rosemary Jelly 1/2 c. dried rosemary 3 c. sugar 2 T. lemon juice 2 c. water 1/2 bottle pectin 3 drops green food coloring Pour the boiling water over the rosemary. Cover, let stand for an hour, then strain. Add the sugar, lemon juice and food coloring. Place over a high flame and stir until the boiling point is reached. Then add pectin and boil for another minute. Pour into jelly glasses and seal. ____________________________________________ Rose Geranium Jelly Pour three or four rose geranium leaves in the bottom of a jelly glass and pour hot apple jelly over them. Add a touch of red food coloring for pink color. ____________________________________________ Herb Sugar Cookie Recipe 1 c. butter or margarine 1 c. sugar 1 egg 3 c. all purpose flour 1 t. baking soda 1-2 T. herb seeds Cream shortening and sugar, add egg and mix until smooth. Add sifted flour and soda, mix thoroughly. Divide into three parts. To each part add nutmeg or 1 t. of seeds - lovage, caraway, fennel, anise, poppy, sesame, etc. Form each part into a roll 2' in diameter, roll in wax paper, chill or freeze. Slice thin for tea parties. Sprinkle with sugar and bake in moderate oven until edges are light brown. ______________________________________________ Traditional English Tea Sandwiches Spread 2 slices of bread, one white and one dark, with butter or cream cheese and herb jelly. Press together. Spread topside and add another slice of an alternate color. Press together to form three slices. Wrap and refrigerate for an hour or more. Firmly but gently press down on stack and trim crusts from four sides using a sharp knife and sawing motion. Cut into one-half or three-fourths inch slices. Or into halves or triangles, if you prefer. ____________________________________________ Watercress Roll-Ups Trim crusts from firm-textured premium white bread. Roll bread with rolling pin to make pliable. Cover slice with a spread of 2 parts cream cheese and one part butter. You may add finely chopped ham or chicken salad. Place sprigs of watercress across the center of the slices with leaving protruding at the edges. Roll up carefully and wrap in foil. Secure with rubber band and refrigerate covered. At serving time, cut the roll in two and remove the foil. Stand the sandwiches cut side up on a serving plate. ____________________________________________ Herb Garden Sandwich Loaf Remove crusts from unsliced loaf. Cut load into four lengthwise slices. Spread butter on inner slices, then spread one slice with a layer of chicken salad, one with layer of watercress and tomato slices, a layer of Supermarket herbs or any combinations of fillings you wish. Wrap a loaf tightly in damp towel. Chill in refrigerator. Remove, place on platter. Soften cream cheese with sour cream or mayonnaise until soft enough to spread. Add chopped dill and sage and frost entire loaf. Garnish with sprigs of fresh herbs placed to form a miniature patterned herb garden. Surround entire load with bunches of parsley. Cut slices and serve on plates. ____________________________________________ Apple Kuchen 1/2 c. butter softened 1 pkg. yellow cake mix 1 c. drained crushed pineapple. 1/2 c. flaked coconut 1-20 oz. can presliced apples Heat oven to 350. Cut butter into dry cake mix until it crumbles. Mix in coconut. Pat mixture lightly into ungreased oblong pan 13 X 9 X 2 and bake 10 minutes. Arrange apples and pineapple on warm crust. Topping 1/2 c. sugar 1 tsp. apple pie spice 1. cup dairy sour cream 2 egg yolks or one egg 1/2 c. sesame seeds. Mix sugar and apple pie spice and sprinkle over fruit. Sprinkle over the sesame seed. Blend sour cream and egg yolk. Drizzle over fruit -- topping will not completely cover the fruit. Bake 25 minutes or until edges are light brown. Do not overbake. Serve warm or cold. ____________________________________________ A Rose Tea in June Rose Creams Stir over a slow heat until sugar dissolves. 2 c. sugar. 1/4 c. light corn syrup. 1/4 c. milk 1/4 c. tsp. cream of tartar Cook until soft ball stage is reached, stirring slowly. Remove from fire and cool slightly. Beat until creamy, flavor with 1/2 tsp. rose water. Color lightly and drop form tsp. on waxed paper. ____________________________________________ Rose Frosting Mix 3 oz. cream cheese and 1 tbls. milk. Add 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, 1 tsp. rose water, a few drops of red coloring and mix well. Spread on top of your favorite white cake, recipe or mix, and sprinkle with almond or pistachio nuts. Use fresh rose petals as a charming garnish. _____________________________________________ Rose Petal Sandwiches Spread a round slice of white bread with Rose Butter. Place on it a circle of strongly scented red rose petals with the edges of the petals curling out over the edge of the bread. Or spread bread with cream cheese tinted a delicate pink and add red rose petals. If the roses do not have a strong fragrance, add rose water to the cream cheese, enough to make it spreadable. Using a scissors, cut each sandwich in half, and each half in five pieces. ____________________________________________ Zucchini Bread 4 eggs 2 c. sugar, gradually added 1 c. vegetable oil 2 c. grated zucchini (including skin and seeds) Combine and add to the above: 3-1/2 c. flour 1-1/2 t. salt 1-1/2 t. baking soda 3 t. cinnamon 3/4 t. baking powder Then add 1 t. vanilla. Dates, nuts, or raisins may be added. Makes 2 average size loaves. Bake at 350 for an hour. Freezes well.

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