ROSE PETAL TEA JELLY

Make a pot of very strong rose petal tea. In another pot add water, sugar and orange juice. Heat until sugar is dissolved. In a cup, add a little boiling water to the gelatin. When dissolved, ad to water, pour in strained tea. heat slightly, pour through strainer into jars, seal and refrigerate. Serves 24.

ROSE PETAL DROP SCONES
The Wildflower Inn on Cape Cod

ICING

1 Cup CONFECTIONERS SUGAR
3 TBS. ROSE WATER
1 TBS. RED CURRENT JELLY

Pre - heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Cut in the butter and mix until coarse crumbs form. Stir in the pistachios.

In a separate bowl, combine the cream and the rose water. Stir in the shredded rose petals. Add the rose mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until a soft dough forms. Drop dough by the teaspoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Prepare the icing. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, rose water and the red current jelly. Whisk until smooth. Add another teaspoon of rose water if the mixture is too thick. Drizzle over the warm scones. Serves 24.

Open-faced Fruit Sandwiches
8 oz package cream -cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup chopped nuts (toasted pecans or almonds)
1 c Strawberries, well drained-and chopped into small -pieces
Brown bread or whole wheat

Combine the cream cheese and lemon rind. Blend in the nuts and berries. Spread the mixture on top of small pieces of bread, cut into rounds or squares, or on crackers.

Celery and Walnut Sandwiches
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup diced toasted walnuts

To toast walnuts, spread on a baking stone ( or sheet) and bake at 375 5-10 mintues until lightly browned. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Mix in celery and walnuts.

ROSE ICE CREAM  

3 fragrant organic roses, petals only (never exposed to pesti-  
cides!!!)  
2 cups milk  
1 cups heavy cream  
1 cup granulated sugar, separated  
6 egg yolks  
1/4 cup rosewater (or to taste), available at Middle Eastern  
stores  
3 drops red food color, optional  
Wash the rose petals in cold water and pat dry. In a heavy,  
nonreactive saucepan, place petals of 2 roses, milk, cream,  
and 1/2 cup of the sugar.  
Place over medium heat and heat to just under boiling. Let  
steep about a half hour to infuse.  

Combine the egg yolks and the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in  
a mixing bowl. Whisk until thick and pale yellow. Bring the  
rose/cream mixture back to a near boil and whisk 1/4 of the  
warm mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Then pour all  
of the egg mixture into the rose milk and place over low  
heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick  
enough to coat the back of a spoon.  

Strain into a bowl and chill on ice. Pour into the ice cream  
maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.  
Transfer finished ice cream into bowl and add the torn petals  
from the remaining rose. Fold into ice cream and pack into  
freezing container.   

Mint Tea Punch
Serves: 4 Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
3 cups water
2 black tea bags
1 cup fresh peppermint leaves
4 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups cranberry juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Bring water just to a boil. Remove from heat. Add
tea bags and fresh peppermint leaves. Allow to
steep for five minutes. Remove tea bags and mint
leaves using a strainer. Stir in sugar, nutmeg, and
cinnamon. Add this mixture to the orange juice and
cranberry juice. Refrigerate until well-chilled (1-2 hours).
Serve in a tall glass with ice and a sprig of mint.

The Perfect Herbal Tea

There's a knack to brewing the perfect cup of herbal tea that tastes,
smells, and looks inviting and has the strength to heal of refresh without
calling to mind a dose of medicine.

Packaged China (Thea sinensis) teas with clearly spelled-out directions don't
  pose much of a problem. But because herbal teas are brewed from petals,
roots, seeds, flowers, or leaves -- alone or in combination -- they require
more know how. Once you master a few simple methods, it's easy to brew the
perfect cup of herbal tea.

Brewing by Infusion
Brewing by Decoction

Brewing Herbal Tea
The first thing you need is patience. If you don't allow ample time for
brewing, you'll end up with faintly flavored hot water. Second, you'll need
to make use of your sense of taste. Unlike Thea sinensis teas, herbal teas
do not darken as they become stronger, but usually remain light green or
amber. The herbal tea connoisseur gauges the strength or weakness of the tea
by taste rather than by sight. Third, you must have the proper brewing
utensils. Basically, this means a pot for boiling water, a teapot, a teacup,
an infuser for immersing the tea in the water, a strainer, and a mortar and
pestle or grinder, to crush roots and seeds just before brewing them.

An infuser is a device that holds the tea ingredients, keeping them
contained while boiling water is poured over them. So they do not flow into
the teacup. Infusers are usually ball-shaped, with pin-sized holes all over
their surface. They unscrew or unhinge to open, enabling you to lock the tea
ingredients inside. Infusers come in sizes ranging from 1- to 2-cup to 6- to
8-cup. If you prefer, you can place loose ingredients in the teapot, add
boiling water, and pour the infusion through a strainer or cheesecloth to
keep tea ingredients out of each cup.

The best teapots are made of china, earthenware, glass, silver, or stainless
steel. Some teapots have strainers build in over the base of the spout;
loose ingredients are strained as you pour the tea. Avoid tin or aluminum
pots -- they tend to impart a metallic taste to the tea - and never heat a
teapot directly on the stove.

Depending on the type of herbal tea you're brewing, you'll use one of the
two methods -- infusion or decoction. For either method, brew the tea in a
covered container; open containers allow nutrients and taste-producing
volatile oils to escape.

Brewing by Infusion
Most teas made from leaves, petals, and flowers are prepared by infusion.
Infusion allows the oils in these parts of the herb to be released gently;
if the herbs were boiled the oils would evaporate.

Basic Infusion of Leaves, Petals, or Flowers
Bruise freshly picked leaves gently by crushing them in a clean cloth. This
will help to release the aromatic oils. Some herbal tea experts say infused
herbs should be removed and discarded after brewing. Others believe the tea
can steep for as long as a day or two. If you allow the herbs to sit, use
boiling water to warm up cold tea and/or dilute it if it has become too
strong.

You will need:
1 teaspoon dried herbs (or 3 teaspoons freshly picked herbs)
1 cup boiling water

To make:
Rinse teapot with boiling water (to heat it), then dry it thoroughly. Place
tea in the pot, pour in boiling water, and allow mixture to steep for 5 to
10 minutes, or until the delicate flavors are released. To extract most
herbs' medicinal properties, steep for 15 to 30 minutes. Strain and serve.
Add or subtract herbs according to taste.




Brewing by Decoction
The decoction method s used mainly for teas made from seeds, roots, and bark
whose active ingredients are more difficult to release. Herbal teas prepared
by decoction generally tend to stay fresher than do teas prepared by
infusion.

Basic Decoction of Seeds
Seeds should be well crushed to bring out their oils. A mortar and pestle
work best, or wrap the seeds in a clean cloth and crush them with a wooden
mallet or rolling pin. You can also crush them in a small electric coffee
bean grinder.

You will need:
1 pint (2 cups) boiling water
1 tablespoon seeds

To make:
Bring water to a boil over high heat. Add seeds, reduce temperature, and
allow mixture to simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain the tea, then
serve.

Decoction of Roots
You will need:
1 teaspoon dried roots
1-2 cups boiling water

Add roots to cold water. Simmer for as long as it takes to brew the tea to
your taste. Decoctions of roots take about 20 minutes, less if you've
powdered them.


- from Herbal Tea Gardens by Marietta Marshall Marcin.