Classic Cucumber Sandwich

Aug6

 

Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook Expanded Ed_COVERWe are delighted to share a recipe from The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook, Expanded Edition by Emily Ansara Baines.

The Secret Garden Tea Room & Gift Shop will feature this recipe at The Roaring Twenties Downton Abbey Afternoon Tea, on September 15th and each guest will receive a copy. We hope to see you there!

Who said it? (answer at bottom of page)
“It’s the gloomy things that need our help. If everything in the garden is sunny, why meddle?”

Classic Cucumber Sandwich

Yields 10–12 Sandwiches

Classic Cucumber Sandwich_FINAL01Ingredients

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • 24 slices white bread
  • 12 sprigs dill, for garnish

Method

  1. Blend cream cheese and mayonnaise in a blender until smooth, scraping down sides and blending thoroughly.
  2. Combine cream cheese mixture with cucumber, garlic salt, white pepper, and chopped dill. Spread mixture on top of twelve white bread slices, and garnish with dill sprigs. Cover with other bread slices to form sandwiches. Cut and discard crusts from bread, then cut sandwiches into quarters.


Times Gone By

Legend has it that one of Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting is the creator of afternoon tea. Knowing the Queen felt hungry around four p.m. and perhaps fretted before dinner, her lady-in-waiting started the trend of serving tea with a few breadstuffs. Soon, teatime had taken hold of England.

“Excerpted from The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook, Expanded Edition by Emily Ansara Baines. Copyright © 2012, 2014, 2019 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.”

Who said it?
— Lady Sybil Crawley, Downton Abbey, Season 1

See original post on Designing A Simple Life Magazine

We invite you to join us at our The Downton Abbey movie pre screening event

Aug6

We cordially invite you to join us the evening of September 19th for an exclusive pre screening of The Downton Abbey movie.

The anticipation has been nearly unbearable as we’ve all waited for the release and our impatience finally took hold of us. Elizabeth has rented a theatre and is throwing a tea party! Sip tea and nibble on scones and shortbread, while being among the first watch the movie we’ve all been waiting for.

Bring your own tea cup!
Paper cups will of course be provided if you forget to bring your own.

tea party IIIPeriod dress is encouraged
The movie takes place in the year 1927. Dress as your favorite character, the series decade you like most or in roaring 20’s attire.

When
Thursday, September 19th at 7:00 p.m. Please arrive at 6:30 p.m.

Where
Cinemark in Federal Way
2201 South Commons, 320th & Hwy 99
Federal Way, Washington 98003

Tickets
The Downton Abbey Movie pre screen movie tickets are $35 per person.

To purchase tickets, please call The Secret Garden Tea Room & Gift Shop, 253.826.4479 and ask for the gift shop where we will be happy to take your order over the phone. Our hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 4pm. As theatre space is limited, we advise you purchase your seat(s)  early.

Tickets will also be available for purchase at the Vintage Market at The Secret Garden Tea Room & Gift Shop in Sumner, Washington on August 17th and 18th. (address is below)

What’s included
Pre screen of The Downton Abbey Movie
Tea, scones and shortbread
Prize for best costume and 2 runners up
…and giveaways

We can’t wait to see you.

tea potDue to theatre constraints, nibbles are provided by Panera Bread.


The Secret Garden Tea Room & Gift Shop
1711 Elm Street  |  Sumner, Washington 98390
253.826.4479

Lavender Champagne

Jul31

Summer is here, lavender is blooming and backyard entertaining is in full swing. This elegant, floral libation is perfect for any occasion. An afternoon backyard gathering, a dinner party under the stars or a simple girls night in.

This simple recipe serves 16 and is perfect for an afternoon or evening of bubbly conversation.

Depending on the variety, lavender blooms are usually at their peak from late June through August. Harvest the flower stems on a dry day, in the late morning hours after any dew has evaporated. Fresh bouquets should be cut when about one-third to one-half of the flowers have opened.  Let’sdoLavender.com

Lavender Champagne

Serves 16

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
  • 4 bottles (750 mL) dry Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
  • Fresh lavender sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in dried lavender. Remove from heat. Let cool completely. Strain out lavender. Refrigerate syrup until ready to serve.

Pour a small amount if simple syrup into each flute or coupe, about 1 1/2 teaspoons and fill glass with Champagne. Garnish each glass with a lavender sprig.

Make Ahead:  Simple syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.

Elizabeth’s Strawberry Basil Parfait

May27

Our Mother’s Day Tea Weekend at The Secret Garden Tea Room and Gift Shop was a spectacular event and we would like to thank all of our guests who chose to spend their very special Saturday or Sunday with us.

Elizabeth’s exquisite menu for this special event began with this delectable Strawberry Basil Parfait. A delightful twist on the Strawberry Jello-O Pretzel Salad, Elizabeth added balsamic to cut the sweetness, basil for a touch of elegance and used glass cups to create individual starters for each guest.

We are delighted to share this recipe with you and invite you to please take a moment and view the entire menu and photographs below the recipe.

Strawberry Basil Parfait

file-2Ingredients

Part I

  • 2 cups pretzels, finely crushed
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

 

Part II

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 10 ounces Cool Whip
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

 

Part III

  • 6-ounce package strawberry Jell-O
  • 2 cups water
  • 16-ounce package frozen sliced, sweetened strawberries
  • 1/2 cup basil, chiffonade, loosely packed

 

Assembly

Preheat oven to 350˚.
Toss crushed pretzels with melted butter, add sugar and mix well. Spread on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Mix together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip.

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water and set in refrigerator until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Fold in strawberries and basil.

Using individual glass cups, pipe in a small bit of cream cheese mixture in the bottom.  Pour in Jell-O and chill until firm.

Before serving, pipe top with cream cheese mixture, sprinkle toasted pretzel topping and add a sprig of basil.

The Menu

Pot of Tea

Toasting Glass of Sparkling Wine or Cider (First Blush of Summer White Sangria or Fruit Tea Red Sangria)

Strawberry Basil Parfait

Flower Fairy Salad with Rhubarb Vinaigrette

Sorbet

Warm Scones with Devonshire Cream, Jam and Lemon Curd

Tiered Rack with Tea Sandwiches, Savories and Sweets

 

 

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the secret garden tea room photo credit the secret garden tea room and gift shopThe Secret Garden Tea Room and Gift Boutique
1711 Elm Street | Sumner, Washington 98390
253.826.4479  |  sgtea.com

 

 

Lavender Provencal Popcorn

May3

parisSince we are headed to France for our next Tea Tour, (see note below) we thought we would share a simple French Flavor recipe.

Last year’s award winning Les Misérables, reminded us why we love France. There is magical, mythical Paris–“the city of love”–but our affection for France extends to their countless contributions to art, history, fashion, architecture, iconic monuments (the Eiffel Tower and our own Statue of Liberty–a gift from the French) and of course, food.

Haute cuisine is classical French cuisine, known for meats and stews, heavy sauces, flour, and butter while nouvelle cuisine offers healthier, vibrant and more innovative ingredients. Cities across the globe boast brasseries and restaurants with a take on French cuisine. Also revered are the everpresent pâtisseries. Found throughout France, these shops are beautifully decorated and filled with a stunning array of desserts and sweets.

Chefs come from around the world for lengthy training in the fine art of pastry making.
If you’re looking for a quick taste of France without jetting off to Paree, try this simple
yet superb recipe for Lavender Provencal Popcorn.

Lavender Provencal Popcorn

LavenderProvencal__21154_F.tif1Ingredients

  • 2 quarts popped popcorn
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence with lavender – see below
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

  • Place popcorn in a large bowl and drizzle with melted butter; toss.
  • Evenly sprinkle Herbs de Provence, garlic and salt over popcorn; toss again and serve.

Notes

  • Note: For fewer calories, omit butter.  Spray popcorn lightly with cooking spray.  Evenly sprinkle Herbs de Provence, garlic and salt over popcorn; toss again and serve.


Herbs de Provence (with lavender)

Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoons dried savory
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers (optional)

 

Note: Our Tea Tour of France is sold out and has been closed, please check out our 11 Day Tea Tour of British Columbia in September!

Follow our weekly posts by pushing the “follow” button above and to the right. Our blog posts will conveniently appear inside your email in-box.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, online or visit our location in Sumner, Washington.

the secret garden tea room photo credit the secret garden tea room and gift shopThe Secret Garden Tea Room and Gift Boutique
1711 Elm Street | Sumner, Washington 98390
253.826.4479  |  sgtea.com