| Afternoon Tea |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-306 |
|
|
|
advertisement
|
Q: I'm hosting my monthly book-club meeting. How can I set the scene for an afternoon tea? A: (from Jeanne Benedict, Ask DIY Food and Entertaining expert) I have an idea for combining an afternoon tea with a garden-party theme that's sure to impress your guests. - To get started, choose tableware and linens that feature a floral or outdoor theme (figure A). Once you've created a place setting for each guest, you're ready to move on to the food.
- For this garden gathering, serve your guests something delicious and healthful: instead of the same old crustless finger sandwiches, try cucumber cups with a variety of deli fillings. To create these tasty treats, simply peel a cucumber and slice it into 3/4-inch pieces (seedless or hothouse varieties are fine). Then use a melon baller to scoop out the centers and fill with chicken salad, tuna salad or herbed cheeses (figure B).
- And now for the fun part: wheat grass! Many nurseries stock sheets of wheat grass that are backed with flexible webbing. (And in case you're wondering, wheat-grass sheets involve a lot less dirt than sod!) To add dimension and depth to your table, prop up certain areas of the sheets with bricks (figure C), which will create the look of a gently rolling landscape.
Tip: To conceal the edges of the wheat-grass sheets, cut off some smaller strips of the material using a knife. Lay them along the edges so that the grass of the strips conceals the edges of the larger sheets. - Next, place the cucumber cups on a decorative plate among the grass. For height, elevate them with a fabric-covered brick (figure D) or other pedestal.
- You'll also want to integrate a few flowers, potted plants and tea accompaniments (like sugar cubes) among the grass. Here, Benedict places her sugar cubes in a cup, which she lays sideways, allowing a few to spill out onto a matching saucer. She also places several small bundles of flowers in teacups and nestles them in other areas of the "landscape", adding a small cup of strawberries near one edge (figure E).
The final result is a stunning tablescape that your guests won't soon forget (figure F). A final tip: To brew the perfect pot of tea, spoon in one teaspoon of loose tea for each cup, adding one extra for the pot (for example, six cups would require seven teaspoons of tea). Pour boiling water into the pot (figure G) and allow the tea to steep. (Large-leaf teas should steep for about five minutes; small-leaf varieties only need about three minutes.) Then just pour the tea into each cup through individual tea strainers (figure H) for your guests to enjoy!
RESOURCES :
Having Tea: Recipes and Table Settings
Model: 0517560070
Author: Trish Foley
(1987)
Clarkson Potter/The Crown Publishing Group/Random House
Website: www.randomhouse.com
Steeped in Tea: Creative Ideas, Activities and Recipes for Tea Lovers
Model: 1580170935
Author: Diana Roson
(1999)
Storey Books / Storey Communications Inc.
Website: www.storey.com
Table Chic: Ideas and Themes for Creative Tables
Model: 1571456511
Author: Kelly Hoppen
Table Settings: 100 Inspirational Stylings Themes and Layouts
Model: 1859673805
Author: Tessa Evelegh
The Artful Table
Model: 068815204X
Author: Donna Gorman
The New Book of Table Settings: Creative Ideas for the Way We Gather Today
Model: 1579901697
Author: Chris Bryant, et al
The 10-Minute Table Decorator
Author: Eaglemoss (Editor)
| 
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
