Tea for Tuesday

Fortnum & Mason’s Fountain Blend

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I drink lots of varieties of tea, and love to try new and different flavors – but there is a piece of my heart that is forever reserved for the British teas.

Today I’m drinking the Fountain Blend by Fortnum & Mason (Piccadilly since 1707!). On the bag, it says “Light and Informal”, and I would agree that this tea is quite delicate. I really like the way this tea hints at the rich powerful flavor that black tea can provide, but stays mild and soft. Try it if you’re interested in black tea but usually find it too intense.

Preparation: If you are a person who likes a sweeter tea, avoid honey or agave with this one – their flavors will overpower the tea. Go with sugar, and try adding less than normal (or maybe even no sugar at all?) I’d make the same judgement regarding milk – I think this tea tastes best on its own, brewed light.

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Easy Grilled Corn

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I love corn. In my travels, I’ve been lucky enough to find street vendors that sell cobs, and lots of dishes that make use of whole or ground kernels. I think that my absolute favorite way to eat corn on the cob is grilled. Here’s how I do it at home:

Grill the corn until quite a number of the kernels are toasty medium brown, and starting to get soft. Then put them in a foil pouch with a bit of butter on top, and let them steam for a while (~15 minutes) in the bag. To finish it off for serving, butter the rest of the corn and then drizzle honey on top.

The corn ends up taking on some of the grill flavor, is soft enough to comfortably munch through but has a firmer texture than boiled or steamed corn, and the honey brings the dish to perfection. Let me know if you try it, and what you think!

Tasty Thursday

Kimball Farm

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I am a big fan of ice cream. I’ve been going to Kimball Farm in Westford since I was young.  It is a favorite of many from all over central Massachusetts – for good reason. They have been making home made ice cream since 1939.  With over 40 flavors that are ever-changing, it is the perfect treat for a hot day or even a rainy one! Our most recent trip to Kimball Farm was on the 4th of July.  We wanted two flavors, so we had to get a large.  The sizes are bigger than big. They are huge! I usually am full with a kiddie for small size if I am hungry. I highly recommend stopping by Kimball Farm.  They have 4 locations: Westford, MA, Lancaster, MA, Carlisle, MA, and Jaffrey, NH.

Kimball Farm in Westford is not just about heaping amounts of delicious ice cream. They have many fun attractions on site. You could spend an entire day there. They have  a country store,  mini golf,  bumper boats, a driving range, pitch and putt, volleyball courts, lawn games, batting cages, animal adventures, an arcade,  and yummy grilled food/seafood. Pictured below is a peacock from the Westford Location.

They have homemade ice cream, too!

Tea for Tuesday

Bambarra Honey Ginger Tea

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If you’re looking for a tea with a more beach-y vibe, you could try the honey ginger tea from Bambarra, and imagine you are drinking it in the Turks & Caicos.

This tea has a more delicate flavor (it’s the white tea to the english breakfast of the three ginger tea). It is also mildly sweet – if you don’t have too much of a sweet tooth, don’t add any sweetener to it.

Pairings: I think this tea would be lovely for dessert, paired with a similarly delicate panna cotta.

Street Food Saturday

Stroopwafel!

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Those of you who talk to me in person know that I’ve had marquesitas on the brain ever since I ate them in Mexico, but a trip to TJ Maxx (of all things) reminded me of another waffle-y travel favorite: they were selling some version of stroopwafels!!

If you have never had the fantastic experience of eating a stroopwafel, it is a delicious way to enjoy a sweet treat with a hot beverage. Here’s how it works: get yourself a hot cuppa, place the stroopwafel on top of your steaming mug, and relax for a few minutes. Your beverage will stay nice and hot, and in the mean time, the waffle portion of the cookie is getting soft and the inner syrup filling is getting gooey. When you are done with your moment of relaxation, work, or if you are just too excited and you can’t wait, take a bite of the stroopwafel: perfect!

 

Stroopwafel00.jpg
“Stroopwafel00” by Tmannya – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

I was first introduced to stroopwafels by my coworkers in the Netherlands, who told me it was one of the things I had to do while I was there. They originated in Gouda, but I found them for sale in the open-air markets where I shopped for produce, and was able to get one that was still warm. Some google searching has shown me that there’s a chance I can find one at some chain grocery stores – I am going to have to hunt a bunch down and review- Matt has never eaten one!

Travel, Food, Reviews, and (of course!) Tea