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Brew Hot Spiced Cranberry Tea

the Tea Association of Canada | Image: Tea Association of Canada | 21 Feb 2008

Ingredients

2 cups/500 mL cranberry cocktail
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
1 small piece of nutmeg
2 cups/500 mL freshly brewed tea

Use a nutcracker to break whole nutmeg into small pieces.

In a saucepan, combine cranberry cocktail and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Remove and discard spices. If desired, sweeten to taste with sugar or honey. Serves 4.

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Create Some Tea-a-Misu

the Tea Association of Canada | Image: Tea Association of Canada | 21 Feb 2008

Ingredients

1 pkg./300 g ladyfingers
1 cup/250 mL very strong brewed black tea, such as
Darjeeling or Assam
1 pkg./250 g brick-style cream cheese
1 cup/250 mL mascarpone cheese
1 tsp./5 mL vanilla
1 pouch unflavoured gelatin
1 cup/250 mL milk
1 cup/250 mL sour cream
1/2 cup/125 mL granulated sugar
1 square bittersweet chocolate, finely grated
fresh fruit such as strawberries, raspberries or orange slices.
mint leaves

Arrange a layer of ladyfingers in the bottom of a 9-inch (23-cm) round springform pan or trifle-style bowl. Brush half the brewed tea liberally over ladyfingers. Top with remaining ladyfingers, filling in any gaps where pan is exposed. Brush remaining tea liberally over ladyfingers.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add mascarpone and vanilla, beating until silken.

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the milk. Let stand for 1 minute.

Combine remaining milk with sugar. Bring to a boil. Stir gelatin mixture into milk mixture. Cool slightly.

Beat half the milk mixture into cheese mixture. Scrape over ladyfingers and smooth to cover.

Mix sour cream with remaining milk mixture. Drizzle over mascarpone layer. Gently smooth until even.

Place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight. Just before serving, sprinkle grated chocolate over top. Garnish with fresh fruit and mint leaves. Serves 8.

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Cook Asian-Style Chicken

the Tea Association of Canada | Image: Tea Association of Canada | 21 Feb 2008

Ingredients

21/2- to 3-lb. (1- to 11/2 kg) chicken
2 T/30 mL rice wine
1 tsp./5 mL salt
3 green onions, chopped
2 slices ginger root (smashed)
11/2 tsp./7 mL Szechuan peppercorns
1/2 cup/125 mL black tea leaves
2 T/30 mL brown sugar
1 tsp./5 mL anise seed
1 T/15 mL sesame oil

Rub rice wine and salt over chicken and inside cavity. Place green onions, ginger and peppercorns inside. Let chicken marinate 4 hours or overnight in the fridge.

Place chicken, breast side up, in a heat-proof bowl or on a plate. Place in bamboo steamer and cover.

Fill wok with 2 inches of water. Heat until boiling.

Place the steamer in wok. Cover. Steam 30 minutes over high heat; add more water if necessary. Remove chicken.

Line wok and lid with heavy foil. Combine tea leaves, brown sugar and anise seed, place in bottom of wok or pot.

Place a rack or two chopsticks, crisscrossed, in wok and place the chicken on rack. Chicken should be 2 inches above the tea-sugar mixture. Cover the pot securely. Place over medium heat. After 5 minutes the tea mixture should begin to smoke.

Smoke chicken for 15 minutes, turning once. Turn off the heat. Let the chicken sit covered for 10 minutes. Remove chicken. Brush the skin with sesame oil.

Cut chicken into serving-size pieces, discard the green onions, ginger and peppercorns.

Serve with rice or noodles and stir-fried broccoli. Serves 4.

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Braise Halibut in Ginger Tea

by the Tea Association of Canada | Image: Tea Association of Canada | 21 Feb 2008

Ginger Tea-Braised Halibut

Ingredients:

2 T/30 mL black tea such as Darjeeling or Assam
4 cups/1 L boiling water
4 tsp./20 mL minced ginger root
1/2 tsp./2 mL each, ground cinnamon and salt
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 1/2 lbs/750 g skinless halibut fillets
2 cups/500 mL chopped bok choy
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
1 T/15 mL brown sugar
2 tsp./10 mL balsamic vinegar
1 tsp./5 mL cornstarch
14 oz/400 g (one pkg.) cooked fresh soba or egg white noodles
salt and pepper
1 green onion, thinly sliced on diagonal

Place tea in a deep saucepan. Pour water over tea. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain out tea leaves and return infused water to pan.

Add ginger, cinnamon, salt, garlic, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Cut fish into serving size pieces. Place fish in tea mixture. Simmer gently for 3 minutes. Add bok choy and peppers. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove fish and vegetables from poaching liquid. Cover and reserve.

Sift cornstarch into pan and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss noodles with thickened broth. Divide noodles between four plates. Top each plate with vegetables and fish. Sprinkle with onions.

Serves 4.

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Take Great Photographs of Your Garden

Carol Pope | Image: Jupiter Images | 01 Feb 2008

When using a digital camera; always choose the highest resolution possible. At least six pixels is great, although we can still use less if need be.
Keep it spontaneous – it’s great to include the kids and kitty, but don’t ask them to pose. Nice and natural is the way to go.
Take several shots from differing angles – be creative and have fun!
Choose a slightly overcast day to take photos. A little cloud cover will eliminate shadows and the photo won’t look washed out from too-harsh light.
Avoid taking photos at high noon, when the angle of the sun creates too much contrast.
Don’t wet things down. While there is a school of thought that says this improves a garden photo, it doesn’t.
Take time to pick up stray toys, garden debris and other distractions.
While not a necessity, a tripod is an excellent strategy for sharp garden photos, especially in lower light.
We love to receive before-and-after garden shots and they are always best when both shots are taken from exactly the same perspective.
If you are using a 35-mm camera, use slide film instead of print if possible – the images will be much crisper.

Tips courtesy of Susan Minton Green, Art Director for GardenWise magazine.

Do you have incredible images of your garden that you're just dying to share with others? Or do you have any photography tips that you want to share?

Feel free to email them to us at gardenwiseonline [at] canadawide [dot] com.

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Create Green Tranquilitea

Christina Symons | Image: Christina Symons | 29 Nov 2007

Serves one
1 teaspoon (5 mL) matcha green tea powder
1 tablespoon (15 mL) hot water
2/3 cup (150 mL) warm milk or soy milk
Honey or sugar to taste

Place matcha powder in a small bowl. Add a small amount of hot water and whisk to make a paste. Add the hot milk and stir. Add sweetener, if desired. Pour into a cup and enjoy.

Try other hot beverage recipes by Christina Symons:
Hot Chocoluxe
Vanilla Mocha Eggnog
Blond Mulled Wine

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Create Some Hot Chocoluxe

Christina Symons | Image: Christina Symons | 29 Nov 2007

Serves two
4 ounces (100 grams) dark chocolate, grated
2 cups (500 mL) whole milk or half and half; or soy milk
3 marshmallows, toasted under the broiler and cut in half

Heat milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan until nearly simmering. Remove from heat and stir in the grated chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Divide between two cups and serve with toasted marshmallows, if desired. For extra flair, rim the cups by rubbing the edge with butter and dipping in grated chocolate.

Try other hot beverage recipes by Christina Symons:
Vanilla Mocha Eggnog
Green Tranquilitea
Blond Mulled Wine

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Brew Blonde Mulled Wine

Christina Symons | Image: Christina Symons | 29 Nov 2007

Serves four
One bottle (750 ml) fruity white wine
2 tablespoons (30 mL) sugar
One orange or six kumquats
One large cinnamon stick, broken into
three pieces
5 cardamom pods
10 whole cloves
5 white peppercorns

Cut and slice oranges or kumquats and place in a medium saucepan. Add wine, sugar and spices. Heat over medium heat until it is barely simmering. Turn the heat down and allow flavours to meld for five to 10 minutes. Strain, garnish and serve in glass mugs to enjoy the soothing amber ambience while you sip.

Try other hot beverage recipes by Christina Symons:
Hot Chocoluxe
Green Tranquilitea
Vanilla Mocha Eggnog

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Make a Vanilla Mocha Eggnog

Christina Symons | Image: Christina Symons | 29 Nov 2007

Serves four
4 cups (1 litre) eggnog
1 vanilla bean
1 cup (250 mL) fresh brewed strong coffee or espresso
Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur (optional)

Place eggnog in a heavy weight medium saucepan. Slice vanilla bean lengthwise and carefully remove seeds from the bean cavity. Add seeds and bean pod to eggnog. Heat gently over medium-low heat until eggnog is hot and simmering. Remove vanilla pod. Divide hot eggnog among four large mugs. Add 1/4 cup hot coffee into each mug. If you’re feeling festive, add a splash of Bailey’s Irish Cream.

Try other hot beverage recipes by Christina Symons:
Hot Chocoluxe
Green Tranquilitea
Blond Mulled Wine

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Start a Container Garden

| Image: | 12 Aug 2007

Cover the drainage hole of the container using a tea bag, landscape fabric, etc.
Fill your container two-thirds full with a good commercial container potting soil or your own custom soil mixture.
Remove the plant (to be planted) from its nursery pot. Handle it gently and make sure the root ball stays intact. If it sticks in the pot, invert the pot and tap its rim against the edge of your container to encourage the root ball to slip out.
Plant each plant to the same depth to which it grew in its own pot and surround with fresh potting mix. Be sure that you do not fill the pot to the brim with soil. There must be adequate room for watering.
Water the container planting deeply. Wait a few minutes, and then water it again.

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