It’s Thyme for Tea!

There’s a tradition at the Bennett’s in the Fall, which embraces the thrill of the wild outdoors, as well the gentile sophistication of the upturned pinkie…

Confused by that combination? Don’t be! It’s quite simple actually. When the air turns crisp and my hubby goes in search of whitetails in the woods, I bake up a storm, whip up some savories, and have a handful of gals over for my version of a tea party. 

This year’s Tea started off with a girly cocktail I invented. I discovered this interesting iced “tea” which is made from wine grape skins, strawberries and apples and then topped it off with a splash of chilled Prosecco.  Armed with refreshments we were ready for a few “hen party” games.

In addition to our food and fun, I also wanted to infuse a little bit of meaning into our gathering. I thought a handcrafted “thank you” journal project might be just the thing. I envisioned this as something my guests would use at their family Thanksgiving gatherings to take stock of all their blessings. This project also gave me the chance to steal away and make final preparations for our  meal. When I had the chance to poke my head back into the fray, I was delighted to see the beautiful array of journals this talented gaggle of artists created!

Finally it was time for the main event. Because my taste buds trend toward the savory, I created a first course of soup and salad to preceed the traditional tea favorites. This included a Roasted Squash Soup served in these great little tasting bowls (a Tea just screams all things tiny!) This strategy also allows guests to have room for sampling a wider selection of offerings.

This wonderful Fall soup was paired with an Apple, Parmesan and Pecan Salad with Tangerine Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Then we moved on to an array of tea sandwiches, including Turkey, Gouda and Apple on Wheat, Port Fig Butter with Prosciutto on Pumpernickel and Cashew Chicken Salad on White. There must also be sweets, and pumpkin scones with cinnamon honey butter seemed like a perfect fit for a Fall Tea. Rounding out the flavor palette were a lemon sandwich cookie, a dried cherry pistachio and white chocolate biscotti and a chocolate brownie bite with salted caramel frosting. To cap off this lovely afternoon, I was tickled to get a call from my hubby, announcing that he’d bagged a deer on the opening day of the season. Brilliant! Success for the hunter and the hostess, a fine day indeed.

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