Chamomile and elderflower jelly

The humble chamomile, with its sweet scent and floral flavour, has always been valued for its health properties: Egyptians used it against fever and ancient Greeks treated headaches and bladder and liver disorders with it. Our Calming Chamomile is a blend of these bright little flowers with a hint of fragrant lavender,  a soothing herbal infusion perfect in the evening or when you need to relax in the cleanest purest way… But its natural, earthy flavour can be enjoyed in other forms too!

For this simple but stunning recipe, we added elderflowers (another seasonal favourite here at Lahloo!) and English strawberries to Calming Chamomile. A lovely, summery dessert that sparkles under the sunshine like a gemstone.

Sunshine jelly! 

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp Lahloo Calming Chamomile
• 2 heads of elderflower
• 270ml water
• 2.5tbsp caster sugar
• 2 gelatine leaves

Place 1 tsp of Calming Chamomile and two heads of elderflower in boiling water. Cover with clingfilm and let them infuse for an hour.
Bring back to the boil and add some caster sugar, mixing well.
Meanwhile, soak 2 gelatine leaves in water. When it gets spongy, squeeze excess of water and place in a separate bowl. Strain over the hot liquid and whisk together.
Allow to cool to room temperature and pour into little glasses.
Cover them with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

Our tip: for a fruity twist, add some finely chopped strawberries!

Fit for the Olympics

The Olympic torch passed through Clifton this morning, so the Lahloo Pantry team were up early for a bit of Olympic fun. Joe, Hannah and Holly went to the Suspension Bridge with heaps of cold infused Earl Grey and lots of Lahloo Pantry bags. It was a nice sunny morning and everybody seemed to be in a good mood!

Want some cold infused Earl Grey? Follow the red aprons! 

Iconic! Joe and Hannah by Clifton Suspension Bridge. 

 Fireworks and Union Jacks 

The fireworks made Holly jump! 

More Olympic fun at the Pantry until the end of the week! Superfoods and superteas to make you fit for the Olympics!

Rosebud, raspberry and almond cake (gluten free)

We love polenta cakes! They have great texture and flavour and they’re a great alternative to wheat based cakes, perfect when you’re trying to bake something gluten free. And why sticking to the old lemon and polenta recipe when there’s so much to explore? This recipe is floral, fruity and nutty and looks gorgeous too. Cover it in raspberry curd and it’ll have a bright pink colour, great when served on a slate, as seen at Lahloo Pantry!

Ingredients

• 225g butter (room temperature)
• 225g caster sugar
• 225g ground almonds
• 115g polenta
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsps Lahloo Rosebud
• a handful of raspberries
• zest of 2 lemons
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• a few drops of vanilla extract
• raspberry curd to serve

Line and grease a large loaf tin. Preheat the oven at 150C.

Beat butter and sugar until pale. Add the ground almonds and the rolled petals of Lahloo Rosebud tea. Gradually add the eggs and the vanilla extract. When thoroughly combined, fold through the remaining ingredients, except the raspberries.

Pour half of the mixture into the tin. Scatter over half of the raspberries. Pour the other half of the mixture on top and then add the remaining raspberries.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until firm. Leave it in the tin until it’s completely cold. Cover with raspberry curd and decorate with some rosebud petals. Enjoy!

Lemon Verbena “agua fresca”

Inspired by this gloriously sunny weekend, we’ve come up with a seriously refreshing drink that we’ve called Lemon Verbena agua fresca (that’s “fresh water” in Spanish, in case you were wondering!). Keep it in the fridge and drink it in the garden when the sun is shining. Full of the goodness of two of our favourite herbs, Lemon Verbena and Peppermint, it’s very uplifting and invigorating yet caffeine-free.

 

Use three teaspoons of Lahloo Lemon Verbena per one teaspoon of Lahloo English peppermint (4 teaspoons in total per 400ml). Let it cold infuse overnight. Strain the tea and it’s ready to serve!

Serve it with a slice of lemon or a mint sprig. We love it!

Alphonso mango and raspberry tarts with lemon verbena syrup

 

Once of the reasons why we love this month’s tea hero Lemon Verbena is that it’s so versatile. Renowned for having the purest citrus flavour of all herbs, it’s a great ingredient in cakes and desserts.

We discovered this fruit tart recipe online and Lahloo Pantry chef Laura thought it’d be great with ripe, sweet, juicy Alphonso mangoes, in season now. A lovely, light and fruity treat with the sweetness of the mangoes and the slight tanginess of raspberries and lemon verbena.

For the pastry: 

• 240g white flour
• a pinch of caster sugar
• 150g butter
• a pinch of salt
• 4tbsp cold water
• 1 beaten egg yolk and a pinch of sugar

For the filling: 

• 3 ripe Alphonso mangoes (sliced)
• a cup of raspberries
• 1tbsp Lahloo Lemon Verbena
• 30g sugar
• 100ml water

Combine flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the softened butter in small cubes, and mix. Add the water slowly. The dough should be a bit crumbly, but it shouldn’t separate. Add more water if necessary. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a saucepan, heat water and sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the lemon verbena. Let it infuse .

Divide the dough into four. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball between two sheets of parchment paper. When the dough is spread, peel off the top paper.

Place the sliced mangoes and a few raspberries on each pastry. Fold up the edges of the pastry and pour the lemon verbena syrup over the top of the fruit. Paint the pastry with the beaten egg and sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes at 200C until the edges are golden and the berries are cooked. Cool on a wire rack. They’re best eaten warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream!

A fresh and floral Tea Workshop

As the old saying goes, April showers bring May flowers. As we’ve all had enough rain already, this month we’ve prepared a selection of fresh and floral teas that will put a spring in your step. From the rejuvenating citrusy highlights of Lemon Verbena to the elegant sweetness of Jade Oolong, this Tea Workshop will make you think of the English countryside, garden parties and a midsummer night’s dream.

Join us at Lahloo Pantry on Thursday the 17th of May from 6- 8pm for an evening of #teadiscovery!

Taste the teas, learn about the story behind them and take home your favourites! Tickets are 100% redeemable so you will choose your goodie bag worth £15 to recreate the Lahloo experience at home.

Tickets cost £15 and places are limited, so book fast! E-mail hello@lahloopantry.co.uk or give us a call on 0117 329 2029.

Win a night’s stay at the Montpellier Chapter

Summer’s nearly here, and what better way to celebrate than a mini holiday break? The Montpellier Chapter Hotel in Cheltenham have offered us a special prize for one of you Lahloo friends! Do you fancy winning a night stay for two plus Sunday afternoon tea (served with Lahloo tea of course!) in this lovely, cosy retreat? To enter, you simply have to e-mail maria@lahlootea.co.uk with your details, including the code MCHAPTER.

Terms and conditions. 

1. This competition is open to residents of the UK, 18 years or over, with the exception of employees of Lahloo Tea and their families or partners.

2. All entries must be received by midnight on Thursday the 31th of May 2012.

3. Only one entry per person. The winner will be drawn at random from all correct entries received by the closing date.

5. By entering into this competition you agree to have your name released as the winner. The name of the winner will be revealed in our June newsletter, and the winner will also be e-mailed.

6. If the prize winner fails to respond to correspondence from Lahloo Tea or to claim his/her prize within 14 days of receipt of notification, Lahloo Tea shall be entitled to select an alternative prize winner. The prize winner who has not responded won’t be entitled to a prize.

6. Prize is non transferable, there are no cash alternatives and cannot be used in conjunction with any other object.

7. Prize is subject to availability, and to be taken before the 30th of September 2012.

7. Lahloo Tea reserves the right to record the entrants’s e-mail addresses for promotional purposes and to share these e-mail addresses with The Montpelier Chapter for the same purpose.

Rhubarb and rosebud fool

Fruit fools are the epitome of British summer desserts. For this one, Laura at Lahloo Pantry combined the flavours of rhubarb and Lahloo Rosebud tea with a hint of vanilla. The result is as fabulous as it sounds (and it looks incredibly pretty too!).

Ingredients

• 500g rhubarb
• 150g (in volume) caster sugar
• 150ml water
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 tbsp Lahloo Rosebud tea
• 150ml double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar
• 1/2 to 1 tsp rose essence

Place the caster sugar, the water, the crushed rosebuds and the split vanilla pod in a saucepan. Bring it to the boil and let it simmer for 5 mins. Tip in the rhubarb, chopped into 3cm slices, and simmer for 2-3 mins until the rhubarb is cooked through, but don’t overcook it as it will go mushy. Let it cool down.

Place cream, vanilla sugar and rose essence in a bowl. Whip it until it’s soft. Do not overwhip.

Gently fold through rhubarb, using a straining spoon to drain most of the syrup. Fold into the cream and then spoon into glasses, drizzling over the syrup.

It can be kept in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Six things you need for a perfect picnic

What is it that makes a picnic so exciting? Lying under the sun, enjoying the smell of fresh grass and a great view, sipping on a refreshing punch, eating delicious little bites and loads of fresh fruit…  If you’ve found yourself wishing you were spreading your picnic rug on a fresh meadow under the sun, we can’t blame you. We’re mad about picnics too!  This is our list of six things that make a picnic a perfect experience.

1. The weather

If you live in the British Islands, you know what we’re talking about if we say “changeable weather”. Ideally, your picnic day should be bright, sunny and a bit warm, to allow you to sit on the grass comfortably. If the day fails to meet these characteristics, you can always try an indoor picnic… It’s more exciting than it sounds! Find a cosy corner in the house and spread your picnic blanket on the carpet. Put some feelgood music on and start enjoying your selection of food!

2. The location

Spreading your blanket in a meadow á la Famous Five isn’t always possible for those who live in a busy city. But finding a sunny spot in a grassy place is definitely achievable! If you’re up for something a bit more adventurous, check the National Trust website for some inspiration.  P.S. Don’t forget your sunglasses.

3. The company

Taking a bunch of good friends along will definitely improve the picnic experience. But, having said that, we must admit that there’s something very charming in a solo picnic too. Grab a book, treat yourself, relax and enjoy.

4. The food

When we’re talking about picnic food, the perfect equation is maximum enjoyment, minimum effort. Here’s a list of our favourites:

• Spanish green olives. Choose a fat and oily variety. We love Gordales or Aloreñas!
• Your favourite bread, ideally something that you can tear with your hands (focaccia, anyone?)
• A light frittata cut into squares. We love it with added greens, such as spinach, peas or asparagus.
• Mini plum tomatos with fresh basil. Fresh, juicy, flavoursome.
• Tired of hummus? Try an aubergine dip. Thinly slice one aubergine and half an onion. Put some olive oil in a pan, add smoked paprika and the vegetables and sautée. Add salt, pepper and oregano to taste. Add some pinenuts and let it cook until the aubergine and the onion are soft. Refrigerate overnight, it will intensify the flavour.
• A savoury loaf.  Get creative and experiment with basic recipes! We are in love with this chorizo, pistachio and sundried tomato recipe)
• Heaps of fresh fruit… especially berries!

Love this pistachio, chorizo and sundried tomato loaf  from Lahloo Pantry

Mediterranean flavours: mini plum tomatoes with basil, Spanish olives and aubergine dip.

Delicious frittata with new potatoes, asparagus and feta

5. The drinks

Fill a glass bottle with delicious, sugar-free cold-infused tea. Genmaicha, Amber or Sencha are perfect with savoury food. All you have to do is use 1 teaspoon of tea leaves per 100ml and let it cold infuse for at least 6 hours, then strain it to remove the tea leaves. And have you tried our Rosebud & Lemon Verbena Summer Punch? The taste of summer in a glass!

6. The picnic gear

Donna Hays has some great practical ideas to picnic in style. But if you live nearby, you can always pop to Lahloo Pantry and grab a delicious takeaway picnic and some cold-infused tea!

Rosebud and Lemon Verbena summer punch

Hello, happy May Day! Our tea hero this month is the very versatile Lemon Verbena, a zesty and invigorating herbal infusion that is delicious in every possible way. We’ll be drinking pots of it, using it as a cooking ingredient or cold infusing it to create a restorative and herbal alternative to lemonade. Lemon Verbena allows you to be playful, something that we love. After a fun mixing session, we came up with what we think will be our favourite summer drink -and it’s remarkably easy to make!

Ingredients

• Lahloo Lemon Verbena
• Lahloo Rosebud
• Fresh strawberries
• Water

Do two separate cold infusions, one of rosebud and one of lemon verbena, using 1tsp of tea per 100ml of water for at least 6 hours or overnight. Strain the tea.

In a glass bottle or in a jar, combine 75% rosebud per 25% lemon verbena, adding some chopped strawberries to taste. Relax, sip and enjoy!

P.S. If it’s rainy outside, close your eyes and play some calypso music! Enjoy!