Down The Rabbit Hole...... Pt. 2

Menu for Mad Hatter Valentine's Day Tea Party

In last weeks blog I shared that I was going to throw a Alice in Wonderland/Mad Hatter tea party for Valentine's Day and blogged about the invitations, decorations and activities for the party. This week I am following up with the menu for the soiree.

Beverages

Yes, you can do a tea tasting.  Buy all sorts of hot tea, steep them and try them... However, how many glasses of hot tea do you really want to drink at a luncheon???? Besides, I am using my teapots as decoration.... So I decided to do a tea punch and a pink punch in honor of the Chesire Cat and Valentine's Day

I snagged the Tea Punch Recipe from Better Home and Gardens and the Pink Rhubarb Punch from Yummly. 

Tea Punch

ingredients

• 2
  cups water
• 2/3
  cup sugar
• 3
  tablespoons snipped fresh mint
• 1
  cup orange juice
• 1/2
  cup lemon juice
• 2
  cups strong brewed tea
• 1
  1 liter bottle club soda, chilled
• Rose, calendula, or pansy petals (optional)
• 1
  large stem lavender or borage (optional)
• Flower ice cubes or ring (optional)

directions

1.Place water, sugar, mint, and lavender or borage, if desired, in a large stainless-steel or nonreactive pan. Bring to boiling; remove from heat and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain mixture through 100 percent-cotton cheesecloth-lined colander.

2.Add orange juice, lemon juice, and tea to flavored water; chill. Just before serving, add chilled club soda. If desired, sprinkle punch with flower petals and serve with flower ice cubes or ring. Makes about 3 quarts or 16 (6-ounce) servings.

Pink Rhubarb Punch

Mix the following together in a punch bowl:

8 cups rhubarb (fresh, frozen, chopped) 8 cups water 212 cups sugar 2 tbsps strawberry gelatin 2 cups water (boiling)

2 cups pineapple juice 14 cup lemon juice 6 cups ginger ale (chilled)

Finger Foods

There are numerous ways you can do food for a tea party.You can very traditional and do a variety of scones with jams and butters. However, I like to go a bit more hearty and I am a sucker for a desert bar and believe that scones with desert is too many sweets and just bread with nothing else. I decided to go with tea Sandwiches and crudites platters and of course ending with a desert bar.

Yet, when it comes to the sandwiches I went with anything but traditional: A curried chicken open faced sandwich, cucumber and smoked salmon sandwich, and Radish Sandwiches on Zucchini Basil Muffins

Curried Chicken Tea Sandwiches from myrecipes.com 

Ingredients

• 
  Preparation1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds 
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper 
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 12 (1/2-inch-thick) pumpernickel, wheat, or white bread slices 
• 3 tablespoons diced green onions

1. Bake coconut and almonds in shallow baking pans at 350°, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes or until toasted.
2. Stir together cream cheese and next 4 ingredients; gently stir in chicken. Spread evenly on bread slices; trim crusts, and cut each slice into 3 strips. Sprinkle evenly with coconut, almonds, and green onions.

Cucumber and Smoked Salmon Sandwiches with Horseradish Butter Recipe from CDKitchen.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup lightly salted butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon white prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 squares pumpernickel or wheat bread
1/2 medium English cucumber, sliced thin
4 ounces sliced smoked salmon

Directions:

Combine butter, horseradish, chives, dill, and salt and mix well. Spread each piece of bread with 1 tablespoon of the butter mixture. Place 1 ounce of sliced salmon on half of the bread slices. Top with thinly sliced cucumber and another piece of bread. Press firmly and cut off crust around sandwiches. Cut each whole sandwich into four squares or triangles, or with a round, crescent or star cutter, if desired. Keep tightly wrapped until serving.

Radish Sandwiches on Zucchini Basil Muffins from What's Cooking America

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup buttermilk1 cup coarsely-grated well scrubbed zucchini squash1/2 cup finely-chopped fresh basil 
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 radishes, trimmed and sliced thin

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and the pepper; set aside.

In a bowl cream together the shortening and sugar; beat in the egg and the buttermilk, beating until the mixture is combined well. Stir in the zucchini and the basil. Add the prepared flour mixture to the zucchini mixture, stirring the batter until it is just combined.

Spoon mixture into a well-greased mini muffin tins (each 1/8 cup). Bake the muffins on the middle rack of your oven approximately 15 to 18 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and turn the muffins out on a wire rack and let them cool.

To serve: Halve the muffins horizontally, spread the cut sides with the butter, and sandwich the radish slices between the muffin halves.


Makes 24 sandwiches.

Let's make this a three part blog :)

Check back next week for ideas on the desert portion of the tea Party!