So many cheeses to choose from...

Farmer’s Market season is gearing back up, plants are sprouting, trees are budding, and my palate is springing back to life as well. So thoughts of loose leaf tea and food pairings are once again helping to drive my weekend splurges. This month, we’re on to cheese. I love cheese, unfortunately. I’m a total sucker for artisanal cheeses, and even the basic cheeses are a weakness for me – some of the things I have most difficulty locking out of my mind when working to shed some pounds are pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches!

We tend to think first of pairing cheese in the traditional sense with wine or beer, but it is such an important part of everyday meals in many Western cultures, that more often than not, cheese is likely to be consumed at meals without alcohol. A general rule of thumb that clearly came out of my trials was that a delicate cheese should not be paired with a bold tea, or one that’s highly tannic. The same goes for sharp cheeses – stay away from the tannins. Another unexpected generalization was that our medium-bodied Jasmine Tea and silky-light Monkey Picked White, both naturally slightly sweet teas, paired well with most any cheese.

Swiss-style cheeses like Gruyere and Emmenthal went very nicely with our classic organic black tea, Blue Mountain Nilgiri, as well as the bold Rooibos herbal tea, Red Rocks.

The more delicate creamy cheeses are fantastic with the light and silky Meditative Mind, if they’re not herbed; otherwise, serve them with Monkey Picked White. If you’re looking for the perfect black tea to pair these with, steep up a pot of New Moon Darjeeling, also light-bodied, and well balanced.

Cheddar’s best friend is without a doubt, our creamy medium-bold black tea, Earl Grey.

Blue Cheese (my favorite is the organic brand of Roquefort, Papillon) was rounded out very nicely by Bolder Breakfast loose black tea, the medium bodied Mate Limon Chai, and worked sublimely well with the mellow Monkey Picked White. Blue cheeses are traditionally served with sweet or dessert wines, and each of these teas brings a natural sweetness to the pairing. Maybe because it’s such a favorite cheese of mine, I found that it paired with more teas as well – floral notes, present in Earl of Grey and Meditative mind, blended nicely with the pungent blue cheeses, and organic Darjeeling, with its floral top notes, also worked well.

Smoked Cheeses we enjoyed most with the fruity notes of Mango Tango and Boulder Blues. These worked especially well iced, alongside a smoked gouda, bacon and granny smith apples Panini sandwich!

Goat cheeses we can source locally here in Colorado, so we had three to try, and decided that the winning pairings were the mellow Monkey Picked White, the roasty medium-bodied Thin Mint Green, and Bolder Breakfast for a strong black tea pairing.

Finally (can you believe we tasted these in two days?!) we found that the creamy Camembert and Brie cheeses were fabulous with the silky Earl of Grey and for medium-bodied greens – Green Twisted Spears, Jasmine Petals, and Thin Mint Green.

The history of herbs and spices is far more ancient than that of tea. Herbal teas should not be called “teas” at all, as they are not made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. They are, strictly speaking, herbal infusions, and naturally 100% caffeine-free. Many host a variety of health benefits, and some will offer a sensational gourmet experience in aromatherapy and taste. But, so many people refer to them as “herbal teas” in the states that we have jumped on that bandwagon and now do the same…

Red Rooibos Tea

Rooibos is one of today’s hottest trends in the tea industry. This faintly sweet red tea is unique because it contains health benefits while being naturally caffeine free and low in tannin, thus allowing iron absorption. Rooibos contains almost no tannins, but has many replenishing minerals including iron, potassium, copper, alpha-hydroxy and zinc. It is rich in antioxidants, the substances that combat free radicals in the body. It works as an anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergen. Rooibos tea has also been shown to soothe the body’s reaction to allergies and rashes. At an herbal store, you’ll probably find Rooibos under the name “Herbal Allergy tea” due to this natural allergy-fighting quality. Its anti-spasmodic agents can relieve stomach pains and cramps.

Rooibos tea not only acts as your personal helping hand in fighting allergies and ailments, it is also perfectly suited for growing babies, young children, active teenagers, parents and grandparents alike… My recommendation for children is to brew it hot, ice it, and blend with a bit of cranberry juice. You don’t need much cranberry juice. Being a good source of vitamins and minerals, it can be used as a natural supplement. It also makes a great thirst quencher iced.

And lastly, Rooibos is a most versatile and remarkable tea for pairing with meals. In particular for strong cuisines, such as Italian and Mexican, that don’t come from a traditional tea region, Rooibos pairs smoothly and deliciously, hot or iced. You can view the full selection of rooibos teas at our shop.

Cold Buster Herbal Tea

Though some places in the world are not looking traditionally wintry right now, colds are in full swing. I’m feeling pretty resilient (knock on wood) as are most of my colleagues, and I’m pretty sure that the copious consumption of tea is preemptively treating a cold or the flu.

Warm beverages are favored this time of year already, and especially when one is feeling under the weather. A cup of tea can be both soothing and healing: the hot liquid eases a sore throat; the antioxidants and vitamins strengthen the immune system; the warm mug and reviving beverage comfort when cooped up during recovery.

After taking an informal poll around The Tea Spot, the following list ranks in order of greatest healing powers for cold/flu symptoms:

Cold Buster; Lemon Drop, Organic; Red Rocks; Rooibos, Organic; Strawberry Fields

All of the teas contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Sourced from either red rooibos, fruit, licorice, or lemon myrtle, the list is sure alleviate symptoms as well as please your taste buds (even if your cold made you forget you have them!).

Cold Buster, originally blended and classified as a natural cold remedy in Europe, is wonderful to drink at the first sign of a cold. Lemon Drop contains Australian lemon myrtle and Egyptian licorice root which act as relief for a sore throat. Rooibos, also in Red Rocks, is full of antioxidants and minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, and fluoride). Along with the others, Strawberry Fields is packed with vitamin C.

It’s best to drink up to 5 cups per day when treating a cold in both early and late stages. The cups won’t interrupt your sleep during recuperation because they’re all naturally caffeine free, so go ahead and keep sipping with only positive side affects.

It doesn’t require a doctor to prescribe vitamins, minerals, and warm liquids to quickly expel sickness. So, I recommend tea to help you bounce back from a cold or flu this winter.

Keep warm and healthy!

Finally, it seems like fall has set in. Leaves are flying, the air is cooler, my nice down comforter has emerged
once more from the closet to shelter me through the cold months. And as my bedsheet situation changes with the seasons, so too does my beverage recipe book. It’s time for teas that warm, teas that calm, teas that say “come here, take off your boots, just you sit and sip me for a while.” One of the best parts of this season is that there are so many teas that match this odd yet relatable set of criteria: whether you prefer the fiery taste of Lapsang Souchong or the creamy complexity of our Earl of Grey, it’s a great time for

bold teas with bold flavors.

Personally, I look forward to whipping out some of my favorite cambric (tea latté) recipes when the thermometer drops. The preparation for these drinks is simple: brew up a double-strong batch of your favorite tea (black teas always work best), and simply add hot milk. Work with the ratio to suit your tastes. I generally prefer about a 65/35 tea/milk split. Sweeten with a little Colorado honey if you so desire (though the teas hardly require). Here’s my list of suggestions for the ultimate fall cambric:

Climber’s High

This tea’s strength and complexity makes it an excellent choice with milk–the combination of chai spices, a little chocolate, a little mint, and heavy base of black tea and roasted maté, oh my.

Bolder Breakfast

Little needs to be said about this one–a few strong black teas, a little dark chocolate, and some warm milk. I know, you want it right now.

Shagadelic English Breakfast

For the purist–this 4 part black tea blend makes an excellent cuppa.

Red Rocks

I can’t preach enough about the incredible flavor and versatility of this tea. A Red Rocks Cambric tastes like a dewdrop from decaf heaven when the rain and snow is falling. Nothing calms me down after a long day like this beverage, and I highly recommend it for both the caffeine sensitive and the everybody else in the world.

Ingredients: Duck

·      2 duck breast, scored

·      Salt & Pepper

Preparation – Duck

1.     Pat dry, score & season with salt & pepper.

2.     Heat skillet over medium heat until hot, 3 minutes.

3.     Lay breast, skin side down, and lower heat a little. Render fat for 15-20 minutes and until skin is golden brown.

4.     Flip breast and cook until brown and crispy.

5.     Place on baking sheet with rack & place in oven until instant thermometer reads 125-130°, 10 minutes.

Ingredients: Red Rocks Cherry Sauce

·      1 cup chicken stock

·      2 TBS Red Rocks tea

·      1 shallot, minced

·      ¼ cup red wine, dry

·      2 TBS dried cherries

·      1 TBS butter

·      1 tsp lemon juice

·      Salt & Pepper to taste

Preparation – Red Rocks Cherry Sauce

1.     Steep 2 TBS of Red Rocks tea in 1 cup boiling chicken stock for 6 minutes. Strain tea leaves.

2.     Pour off all but 1 TBS fat from pan and heat.

3.     Add shallots and cook until soft.

4.     Add wine and cherries, scraping bottom of pan. Simmer until wine evaporates, 2-3 minutes.

5.     Stir in Red Rocks chicken stock concentrate and simmer occasionally, until sauce has reduced and is thickened, about 1/3 cup, 3-5 minutes.

6.     Off heat, stir in butter, lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste.