Great Grandmother's Kitchen

Art by Jaicca on DeviantArt.  Go here to see her breathtaking gallery.

From Fancyflours

Welcome to 2012! I'm going to be trying some new things for the new year, including an idea I've been bouncing around for a while: teatime posts. Once a month or so, I'm going to put up menu ideas, as well as pictures and links for a themed tea. If you use them, all that I ask is that you post and tell us how it went, mmmk?

This month,of course, is the peak of winter in all it's frosty glory. This brings some interesting challenges, as many of the tea party staples(cucumber sandwiches) are spring/early summer foods. Sure, you can go to the store and buy them out of season these days, but chances are they won't taste very good.

Book page snowflake garland from the blog Hipster's Tea Party

Suggested Menu

Savories:

Ham and Jarlsburg on rosemary parmesan bread.

Sharp cheddar and chutney.

Cheese fondue, or a warm soup. Either of these are best for a small party. While a creamy soup might be by nice, the curried carrot soup below is a bit lighter(and tastes very good with small cheddar and chutney sandwiches).

For great fondue how-to, go here, or here

Sweets:

Home-made lemon or orange curd(like I made last winter), or homemade marmalade. Curds are great spread on bread, with cake, or as a tart.

Individually sized versions of this Bananas Foster bread pudding, perhaps with a rum custard sauce.

Cupcakes or cookies!


To drink:
Earl Gray, possibly a specifically winter blend like one of these here.
Hot spiced cider or cocoa. My Mother in Law likes to rub the rim of the cocoa cups in crushed peppermints and add a candy cane straw to the cocoa!

Cookies at What's Cooking America

GGKitchen Curried Carrot Soup

4 large carrots
2 T olive oil
Salt and white pepper

1/4 cup flour
3-4 cups good stock
1 T finely grated ginger
2-3 t curry powder, such as Madras (the distinctive metal tin)

1 cup heavy cream
Pinch sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 cup yellow raisins

Heat oven to 400F. Roughly chop carrots and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet for 20-30 minutes, or until nicely caramelized. Stir at least twice.

More cookies from the blog KUIDAORE

Scrape contents of Cookie sheet into medium saucepan. Heat to med-high, adding spices. Slowly add flour, mixing carefully, and cooking for a few minutes. Add stock, a little at a time, stirring after each introduction.

Let simmer for 15 minutes, or until carrots are soft all the way through. Let cool slightly, then blend (carefully!).

Return to saucepan, and keep warm. Taste and adjust season if needed.

In a small mixing bowl, whip cream, with pinch of salt and sugar, to soft peaks. Store in fridge if not ready to serve yet.

When ready, pour soup into small bowls, and add small spoonful of cream, sprinkle with raisins. Very good with salty, cheesy sandwiches like those above.

By Wilton