Perfect Tea & Scones

I have to admit, I was really impressed with a new tea maker I purchased recently. I just love loose tea and I've tried so many systems over the years, but never found one that was just right for me. They advertised.. 'the perfect cup of tea' and they didn't exagerate one little bit. Teavana's Perfect Tea Maker has made brewing that perfect cup of tea a breeze. Mix up your favorite herbs, or tea leave blends in this handy little unit, pour boiling water in and allow it to steep. Then simply set the unit over your teacup or mug and watch it filter through the bottom. Presto..the perfect cup of tea.

What goes better with a nice hot cup of tea than scones. As I finished up my work in the gardens yesterday I was happy that I had made a batch of my favorites earlier in the day. I can't understand why more folks don't make these delicious morsels. Scones are a breeze to make and you can add any fruits, nuts or favorite chocolates you like to them. I made two batches.. Raspberry & Chocolate bits that went into the freezer and my favorite.. Blueberry & Peach. This recipe makes eight good sized scones. This is a basic recipe, so feel free to experiment with your own fruit selections. White chocolate bits with dried apricots, Apple, cranberry & granola are pretty tempting too. Make some in the morning and see what I mean. You'll be hooked on scones too. Enjoy!



Blueberry Peach Scones

In a large bowl mix:

2 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 cup baking powder

Cut into flour mixture until crumbly:

4 1/2 oz butter (by weight)

***Note: If you are adding fruit, nuts, chocolate etc, do so, before adding the wet portion. For this size recipe: Add two cups total and gently incorporate.


1 cup frozen bluebrries
1 cup frozen peach slices, chopped

Add to the dry mix with a fork until incorporated:

1 cup buttermilk

Knead very gently to form a large ball in your bowl. Transfer to a floured surface and pat or lightly roll a 9" circle, 1 1/2 inches high with the dough. Cut the round into eight wedges. Egg wash the tops and sprinkle with sugar. Alternate slices and place on a parchment lined sheetpan. Bake in 375 degree oven until golden brown.

Roasted Butternut & fennel risotto

Do you have a favorite risotto? As many of my readers must know by now, I just adore risotto, and as I make it often wondered if any of you have a favorite risotto dish?

This week I harvested the remaining fennel, shallots and butternut squash from the gardens to hopefully winter over, so for dinner tonite it was roasted butternut risotto for us. But if I had to chose my favorite, I'd have to say wild mushroom is right up there for me. My good friend, Celia recently sent me a new cookbook, Risotto and I'm anxious to try the savory scallop & fennel and saffron-marsala recipes, and the tiramisu risotto recipe has really piqued my interest, along with over one hundred other delicious risotto's found in it. Thank you again so much Celia. You couldn't have chosen a better gift!

Roasted Butternut Risotto
You can try more of my favorite risotto recipes here.



1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cut into cubes
1/2 small fennel bulb,finely sliced
3 TBLS olive oil
2 TBLS unsalted butter
1/4 cup shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
sea salt, white pepper
fresh savory, parsley & sage, minced
2 cups arborio rice
6 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup Pinot Grigio
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the squash and fennel on a baking sheet and toss with a tablesppon of olive oil. Season with sea salt, white pepper & herbs of choice. Roast uncovered for about 35 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with foil and set aside.

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan, then turn off and cover to keep it warm.

Melt butter, and gently saute the garlic and shallots until softened 5 or 6 minutes. Add the rice, coating it well and stir until it turns opaque about 2 minutes. You don't want the rice to brown. Now add the wine and cook gently until it has been absorbed. Add the warming broth, simmering the pot, ladle by ladle,until you've used all the stock and the rice is thick, creamy and tender, about 20 minutes or so. Now add the roasted butternut squash and fennel pieces to the cooked risotto. Remove from heat and stir in grated parmesan cheese and serve. Enjoy!