Some Tea News and Events

Image from Edible Portland

Tea Growing in Oregon!  The fall edition of Edible Portland features tea growing in Oregon!  Read it here and/or listen to the OPB interview.

 

Sunday, September 15th, 5 – 7 pm:  Pu-Erh Tea Tasting

A special tea tasting event at Newspace Center in Portland, Oregon. Jeffrey McIntosh of McIntosh Tea and Nicholas of Mist Peak Teas will be teaming up for an evening of exquisite tea, great company, and the opportunity to be a part of growing interest in the famous tea from the mountains of Yunnan, China, Puer Tea. More info and to register.



Learn Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony in October at the NW Tea Fest in Seattle!

When: NW Tea Fest is Saturday – Sunday, October 5 – 6
Location: Seattle Center
Conference website: http://www.nwteafestival.com

Register early! Last year we had a very full event!

Class info:  Experience the Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony
(Instructor: Dewey Meyer)
Saturday, October 5, 11 am – Noon

Large Workshop Booth - ($10 materials fee for brewing participants – 10 brewing spaces available)
Up to 25 additional non-brewing participants

Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony was created in Taiwan in the 1980′s as an experience that allows many participants to brew and serve tea together. It is rooted in Chinese Gong-Fu small pot brewing. Wu-Wo translates to “selfless” and embodies that principle. Participants sit in a circle and silently brew, being present with tea, nature and each other. Those that you serve are not the ones you receive from, reinforcing the concept of giving without expectations.

Please join us! No need to bring anything. We will provide 10 brewing kits. 10 people who pay a $10 materials fee will be able to use these kits and be an active brewing participant in the ceremony. All participants, including non-brewers (which can attend at no fee), will be able to taste tea during the ceremony.

Cha-Kaiseki: The Meal at a Japanese Tea Ceremony

Me, drying dishes after cleanup of the meal at a recent kaiseki class

I have some serious foodie friends who will enjoy this post...

If you are invited to a full Japanese Tea Ceremony, you will first be treated to a delicious, light and healthy meal in the tea room prior to enjoying the tea.  The idea is to ensure the guests' comfort during what can be a lengthy and leisurely tea event.  The food helps keep us contented, and some people's bodies are better able to enjoy the matcha with a little something in the stomach.

You may have heard of, or even been to, a "kaiseki" restaurant.  Most people associate this style of dining with many small dishes of very fancy food.  In the cha (tea)-kaiseki, the food itself is more humble as well as seasonal and local.  Rather than being the focus, the food is there to ensure your comfort and lead you to the highlight of the experience, the serving of the koicha (thick tea), which comes after the meal.  

The cha-kaiseki actually reminds me a bit of the British afternoon tea in that the food is meant to blunt the appetite, not to be a large meal. The portions are petite and there are many small morsels to try, each presented in a beautiful dish to highlight the food's qualities. 

In my tea class, we've been studying how to handle the many bowls, cups and trays in the tea room.  And this weekend, I had the chance to attend a kaiseki cooking class where we prepared a meal.  And then, our two Sensei served us so that we could enjoy the food and practice handling the bowls.  Lucky us!  

A cha-kaiseki menu includes:

* Mikozuke, often a raw dish like sashimi served on the far side of the tray and arranged to face the guest

* Rice and miso soup, each served in its own lidded bowl

* These three are served together on a tray and enjoyed with sake

* Nimono, this simmered dish is brought out next and served in its own lidded bowl

* Yakimono, a grilled dish brought out for guests to serve themselves

* Hashiarai, a clear broth used to cleanse the palate and rinse the chopsticks, served in its own lidded cup

* Hassun, small morsels of "food from the mountain and food from the sea".  At this time, the host pours a bowl of sake for each guest, who in turn pours a bowl for the host.  It's worth noting that the bowls of sake are very flat and hold just a couple of sips each.   

*Yuto, broth with rice that has been crisped in the bottom of the pan, served with pickles

Additional items can be added, but these are the basics.  I experienced the process from shopping, cooking and savoring and I can tell you that much thought and attention goes into the preparation of these dishes.  Delicious, beautiful and subtle.  It's also worth noting that while fish is quite common in the meal, it's also easy to have vegetarian (even vegan) kaiseki meals.

And yet...all of this is not the highlight of the tea ceremony.  After the meal, you would be served a small sweet and then invited to take a stroll in the garden.  When you return, it's time for koicha!

Zinnias

Whether, like me, you pronounce this "zee-nya" or say "zinn-ee-uh", the zinnia flower is worth a closer look. Old-fashioned and sturdy, it packs an intense color rush.  My grandmother used to grow a very long row of these alongside her garden. So many colors!  She could see them from her bedroom window.  When I think of zinnia's, I think of summers spent with Grandma.  What do they bring to mind for you?

                                             

Cake for Breakfast

Stone Fruit Skillet Cake

We went for an early walk to pick flowers today and came back home with nowhere to be and nothing to do.  So rare, too rare, precious.  In honor of this, I decided to make cake for breakfast.  A friend had given me a big bag of plums from her garden and I remembered this recipe for a cast iron cake with fruit.  Mmmm!  Slow mornings.  I love them, and cake for breakfast too.

I ate mine in a nearly-civilized way, with a 2nd flush Darjeeling and the paper.  But notice I couldn't wait for the cake to cool, allowing me to slice it nicely.  Nope, straight from the oven immediately to plate and mouth.  Only slightly more civilized than the DH who ate his with his fingers while standing over the cast iron skillet.  

 

Here's the recipe.  I may play with it some more and see if I can get it to work on the the grill, covered.   Gotta love the flexibility of cast iron!  My recipe, below, has been changed extensively from the original - adding whole wheat, reducing the sugar and veganizing.  It works great in vegan form!  If you'd like to see the non-vegan, white flour original, go and visit with Martha.

Stone Fruit Cast Iron Cake for Breakfast

(I've enjoyed this with plums and nectarines and I think any stone fruit would do well)

Ingredients:

*4 Tbsp vegan "butter" plus enough to grease the pan

*An 8-9" cast iron skillet

* 1 cup whole wheat flour

*1/2 tsp baking powder

*1/4 tsp baking soda

* A dash of salt

* 1/2 cup sugar (down from 3/4 originally) plus 2 Tbsp for the top

* Egg replacement for 1 egg - I used 3 Tbsp water + 1 Tbsp flax seed meal, let sit 5 min

* 1/2 cup non-dairy milk + 2 tsp lemon juice, let sit for 5 min

* 2 - 4 ripe (but not mushy) stone fruit, stones removed and sliced thinly

Ready for the oven
The next time, I'll use more fruit and fill much of the top

Make the cake:

* Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

* Grease and flour the cast iron skillet

* Make the egg replacement and add the lemon juice to the non-dairy milk; set aside

* Whisk together the dry ingredients

* Beat vegan "butter" and 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy; stir in egg replacement

* Add 1/3 of the flour and 1/3 of milk - mix gently and repeat until you have a batter; do not over mix

* Pour into cast iron skillet and smooth with a knife

* Add stone fruit in a pattern of your liking; I try to make mine skin-side-up so the color shines through after baking

* Sprinkle 2 Tbsp of sugar over the top; don't skip this, it makes a nice crunchy topping

* Bake for 30-35 min, until a toothpick comes out clean

* Technically, you should let it cool for a few min before cutting into the thing; I never do that

Tea and Cheese and Passions

One of my favorite experiences is to be around people who have imersed themselves in their passions and then share that with others. The topic hardly matters; being with someone who knows and loves the topic is a joy.  When that topic of passion corresponds with mine, well then it's super!  Just like last weekend...

I had the good fortune to attend (with Marmalady) a cheese and tea pairing, hosted by two local experts.  Steven Smith and Steve Jones.  Smith is prominent in the tea scene, having been part of the birth of both Stash and Tazo brands, and now runs his own tea company. Jones is not only a skilled and thoughtful cheese seller, but also a national cheesemonger champ.  The two Steves decided to join up to share their knowledge and passions.

The pairings were carefully selected, the idea to bring out the best in both the tea and the cheese.  We enjoyed, starting at noon and working clockwise on the plate:

1:  Tea - White Petal (No 71), a white tea with chamomile, osmanthus, pear and apple infusions (for citrus) and lightly sweetened, from the Ready-to-Drink (RTD) bottled line, served cold; Cheese - A goat's milk gouda, aged 6 months
2:  Tea - Lord Bergamot (Smith's take on Earl Grey and his #1 selling tea); Cheese - an earthy Montgomery English cheddar
3: Tisane - Red Nectar (rooibos and honeybush); Cheese - Gruyere de Savoie, a French cheese, lightly creamy and nutty
4: Tisane - Big Hibiscus; Cheese - Aged (2 years) cow's milk gouda with a nice crunch due to caseins that crystallize in the aging process
5: Tea - Brahmin (a blend of Assam, and two Ceylon teas); Cheese - Lightly smoked sheep's cheese from basque Spain (Idiazabal)

The pairings exceeded my expectations!  I didn't know if I would find tea with enough acidic "bite" (thinking of wine) to go well with the cheeses. Wow - some of them had just that and the others showcased the cheese's creaminess. 

I learned a lot, too.  For example, these designations relate to cheese: 
Farmstead:  The milker is the maker, cheese made at the farm where the animal is milked
Artisanal:  Hand made cheeses, small batches (this has an actual meaning in the cheese world, vs. a marketing label)
Coop:  Pooled milk from a region, 1 great cheese maker

Have you ever enjoyed a cheese and tea pairing?  What pairings would you like to try? 

She Comes Home

It's a wonderful Sunday afternoon. The DH is whiling away at the bicycle show at the museum and I'm tucked into a beautifully presented pot of sencha at the Japanese cafe across the street. A good book, a pot of tea, moody skies and a light rain. Portland has come home after a gorgeous Mediterranean vacation for herself. 

Matcha in the Park

Last week I had the wonderful chance to visit with friends (from near and far) in a beautiful park.  I also got to use my nodate picnic set - it's a little basket with a small tea bowl and a diminutive whisk and scoop.  This style of Japanese tea "ceremony" is informal and flexible, perfect for a day in the park.  It was my pleasure to make bowls of matcha for the guests.  My laughter above shows the spirit of the day (and notice the wedding in the background!).

Not pictured is our friend Ms. M, the photographer.

I love this tiny little whisk and scoop set!  The scoop folds up and fits into the bottom of the whisk.

Just a hint of the frothy green matcha.

When drinking matcha, it's a good idea to have a little sweet just prior to drinking.  The sweet lingers in your mouth and blends with the bitter flavor of the matcha.  We shared sweetened rice crackers and sesame mochi (soft, chewy rice flour cakes with sesame paste filling).

It was a great afternoon and I was honored to make tea for my friends!

The Working Girl and the Privileged

I'm enjoying these two new thimble-sized teacups I picked up at the Chinese Garden. I'm calling them the Working Girl and the Privileged. They are both me.

I'm a conscientious and hardworking employee. I give a lot to my employer.  I manage through the turmoil and stresses - along with the benefits  - of corporate life.

I'm also privileged, simply by being born an American into a middle class family. I have an advanced education which affords me some job flexibility and security. I have a safe home. I have a loving  husband, family and friends.

I take none of this for granted. I often think of how lucky I am to simply have been granted life into my family, this century, my geography. And I wonder how I can be of service in this world to so many who don't have the same.

Meatless Monday: Artichokes

Well here's a plant we could never grow in the Midwest...artichokes!  Fun to grow because the plant is BIG and pretty, and if you let it bloom, it looks like a giant purple thistle. But why would you want to do that when you can eat them?  We trim the sharp points and steam for about 25 min for small ones. I like them unadorned, though many people enjoy dipping the leaves in melted butter, mayo or other sauces.

Do you grow fresh artichokes?  (They don't like cold winters.). How do you like to cook them?

And a flower for you too....

Obon Festival

Obon Festival Folk Dances

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend our local Obon Festival this past weekend.  Obon is a Japanese custom of honoring one's ancestors.  It's celebrated with wonderful food, arts and performances and dancing. The stately woman leading the dances above is Sahomi Tachibana, grande dame of Japanese traditional dance.

It was fun to wear a yukata (casual cotton kimono) with a fancy-tied obi (thank you MK!).  The orange fan is used for fanning as well as in some of the folk dances.  I even tried my hand at some of the dance, great fun!    

The wooden platform shoes are called geta.  They make a nice clack-clack sound when walking.  The ones shown below are covered in black lacquer.

Many people wore kimono and looked simply stunning!  It was lovely to see the young men and women dressed in bright blues and whites,with colorful obi.

And green Nike's.  ;-)  This young man is participating in a multi-generational folk dance.  How cool!

And now, the food...many delicious choices, including noodles, spam specialties and deserts called manju.

My friend MK was incredibly generous and made a bento lunch for me.  Delicious!  And to top off the day, I enjoyed shaved ice with guava and lychee syrup.

A wonderful day full of cultural treasures.

Foolish Projects

A foolish project

Start a huge,  foolish project

like Noah.

It makes absolutely no difference 

what people think of you.

-Rumi

I've been taking this really great online class, Start a Foolish Project, with Andrea Scher.  The idea was to say YES to a project that INSPIRES and DELIGHTS me, and to do it for the JOY of it!  I'm so glad I jumped in!

My warm-up activity was the Take What You Need experiment (image below).  I am  happy to report that all of the paper slips were pulled at the sign posted at my nearby market. I nearly jumped up and down clapping my hands the first time I walked by and some were gone.  ;-)

Next was the "guerrilla goodwill" activity (image at the top).  I made slips of inspiring quotes and affirmations and placed them in library books and on the back of public restroom stalls.  (Two of my favorite authors, Alexandra Stoddard and Sarah Susanka, were next to each other at the library, how serendipitous!) I love the anonymity of it.  It's also very fast. I spent 20 minutes making the slips from leftover scrapbook paper. It takes only 30 seconds to stick on a door or in a book, and my mood is lifted for a couple of hours.  It feels like I'm getting away with something, but in a good way!

My final project was to organize a neighborhood potluck picnic.  The DH (dear hubby) and I are relatively new here and I wanted to get to know more neighbors.  This was the project that really pushed me out of my comfort zone.  I'm a sociable person, but I had to be brave going door to door to introduce myself and hand out the invitations.  I dressed carefully, put on my best smile and headed out.  My opening line, "Hi! I'm Stephanie, your neighbor..." speaks to my nerves. Would they even open the door?  Think I was a solicitor? Ultimately, I found great value in this invitation process.  I met four new neighbors and learned that two of them have lived here for some time and yet didn't know many people.  That validated my cause.

Last Sunday evening was the picnic potluck.  We met in the nearby park.  I took over vases of flowers from the gardens.  I pulled out pretty tablecloths, but aside from that, this was simple because I chose to host in a public space (I highly recommend!).  Nonetheless, I had to remain calm as I made my way there and spied another neighborhood group using the picnic tables I had desired (in the shade). I had been watching the tables for a month...no one ever used them, not once!  Fortunately, there was another table available and we set up a portable table and carried on.  We had a lovely time with 12 of us in attendance.  I know these neighbors by name now. We shared food and smiles, and that is foolish magic!

Breathing Tea



Picking tea in Muzha, Taiwan

Happy Friday!  Just breathe in deeply and smell the fresh tea leaves.

Breathe out and let your breath become part of the tea itself.

One big circle.

Brown Bobby

As a tea lover, you probably know of the Brown Betty teapot.  Have you ever heard of the Brown Bobby?  It's a triangle-shaped donut that was popular in the mid 1920's.  The donut-making machine was advertised in Popular Mechanics as a means to start a cottage industry.  My neighbor has inherited one of the Brown Bobby machines from her mother and she enjoys sharing the donuts.  Lucky us!  We enjoy these tasty morsels from time to time. 

A note about the toleware tray above.  It's another treasure from a neighbor.  I recently picked it up at our community's annual yard sale.  The gorgeous teacup and saucer was sent by a friend who picked it up at an auction.  It has become one of my favorites.

A Crack in Everything

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack,

A crack in everything

And that's where the light gets in.

From Anthem, Leonard Cohen

I've committed this poem to memory.  It moves me deeply.  It speaks of the beauty of imperfection.

Just like these tea wares.  They have scars, they've been patched up. 
But now aren't they even more precious?  They are to me.

Tea's Me

The day before 4th of July, a friend and I had the opportunity to visit a new tea room called Tea's Me.  We visited with owner Julie (below) and her excitement and enthusiasm were contagious.  We discussed both the challenges and joys of being a small business owner, and her hopes for the future of this business (which include an occasional day off!). 

The first thing we noticed about the facility was how well it captured the natural light, an important quality for Oregon.  Inside was cheerfully and yet elegantly decorated.  I appreciated the modern colors and upholstery.  

One of the best features of this tea room was the diverse menu, allowing us to choose from a lengthy list of tea and meal options.  Julie has an afternoon tea appropriate for everyone - from the hungry gal to the nibbler!  In her menu creation, she even considered seniors on a fixed income.  My friend and I each chose the Duchess and it was plentiful.

We began with mango-peach sorbet and cups of hearty black tea.

Our finger sandwiches included chicken salad, ricotta and feta cheese stars and turkey with Havarti cheese on croissant.

The cream and blueberry scones were served with real clotted cream, lemon curd and tayberry jam.  Desserts included fruit skewers, strawberry layer cake and cherry tarts.  Definitely making the best of Oregon fruits.

I wish Julie much luck in her endeavors and I'm sure I'll be visiting often!

Meatless Monday: Zucchini Season!

It's zucchini season and we're eating it at nearly every dinner.  Here are a few of our ways to enjoy this bountiful vegetable (in the culinary sense; technically, it's a fruit).  Above, chopped and raw on a salad.  With this, we also had homemade pizza with zukes, walnuts, kale and cheese (no sauce).  

We had this for dinner last night...quinoa with garbanzo and black beans, corn, onion and chopped (raw) zucchini topped with salsa and canned or fresh tomatoes, a tiny bit of salt, and pepper.  Delicious!

We've also been throwing zucchini on top of nearly every dish...sauteed in olive oil (or just water) for topping pasta of all sorts, dipped into dressing or hummus, and of course shredded and frozen for use in zucchini bread in the winter.  I love grilled zucchini, too.

How do you use zucchini?

Tea Celebrations, Alexandra Stoddard

"Let the world boil down to just this cup, this moment, and let the warmth slowly spread
from your fingers throughout your whole body to your soul."

~ Alexandra Stoddard, Tea Celebrations

I've recently re-read Alexandra Stoddard's Tea Celebrations book.  It's a favorite.  She writes with a passion and self-knowing that I admire.  The book shares beautiful stories about how tea has helped Alexandra find a place of centerdness in her life, and it gently encourages us in this direction.  Comforting, soothing, inspiring and beautiful.  I've made notes in this book for my niece.  Someday, it will be hers.

I discovered Alexandra nearly 13 years ago when I picked up her book, Living a Beautiful Life, at a B&B.  Her philosophy is to make every moment beautiful, even the mundane tasks of life can be made enjoyable with a cup of tea, a flower, a nice pen or beautiful music.  It's a lesson I took to heart.

Do you know Alexandra's work?  Has her work inspired you?  What other authors inspire you to live a life full of beauty and/or centerdness? 



Take What You Need

Love - Joy - Peace - Patience - Kindness - Goodness - A Cup of Tea - A Hug -
A Listening Ear - A Do Over

Today, I need a do-over.  :-)  What do you need today?  (You can add your own word.)

I created this poster and hung it in my neighborhood (along with mailing out a few) as a result of an online class I'm taking with Andrea Scher called Start a Foolish Project.  LOVE the class and LOVE the idea of a foolish project, one that I do just for the joy of it!  That makes me feel alive!

In the next few days I will decide what my class project will be.  I got my feet wet over the weekend with this one.  Inspired by Kelly Rae Robert's project, I dove in.  I knew I wanted mine to be done quickly, to achieve a sense of momentum, so I kept it to an hour.  The result was long lasting joy!

Old Mill House Inn, Vernonia

Old Mill House Inn

The DH and I recently took a mini vacation to Vernonia, OR. It was great!  We are riding our bikes both Saturday and Sunday these days, training for an event, which leaves little time for much else. The DH (dear hubby) came up with a very clever way to fit in a little pampering.  We worked in our bike training on the way to a B&B. Taking the long way there, our ride was 4 hours including 21 miles on the Banks-Vernonia rails-to-trails path.

We stayed at the Old Mill House Inn, which I recommend. A lovely home and very friendly hosts who lovingly restored this abode to its present beauty, rescuing it from neglect.

Breakfast was delicious and filling!  And we enjoyed learning about the home's history.

That's me, still standing after a long ride here!  The back yard of the Inn is beautiful with a peaceful deck to sit and let your legs rest. ")