Roasted Green Tea Frico toped with Smoked Salmon Tartar

Photo by Fine Cooking

An easy-to-make appetizer to celebrate Earth Day...

Ingredients Roasted Green Tea Frico:

• 2 cup parmesan, shredded
• 2 TBS GREEN ROASTED MINT tea, finely grounded

Preparation: Frico, crspy cheese crackers

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix parmesan and green tea in a bowl.
3. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle 2 TBS of cheese mixture in a circle and cook until melted, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Using a spatula remove frico and place over a rolling pin to cool.

Visit teaspotchef.blogspot.com for the Smoked Salmon Tartar Recipe.

Steamed Mussel in Hojicha Wine Nage (Broth)

The perfect appetizer for two...

The wine infuses the dish with hints of sweetness, the Hojicha gives it a touch of earthiness, the mussels balance it with bits of saltiness and the butter brings is all together...

Steamed Mussels in Hojicha Wine broth

· 1-2 TBS butter

· 1 shallot, minced

· 2 garlic cloves

· 1/2 cup white wine

· 3/4 cup fish stock

· 1/2 TBS Hojcha green tea, loose leaf

· 1 bay leaf

· 1 lb mussels scrubbed & debeared (keep over ice)

· 2 TBS heavy cream

· 2 roma tomatoes, blanched & shocked, seeded and diced

· 1 poblano pepper, seeded & diced

· 1 TBS butter,

· Garnish: parsley, lemon (zest & juice)

· Season with salt, pepper, & cayenne pepper

· Toasted bread

1. Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Sweat shallots until soft, 2 min. Stir in garlic until fragrant. Stir in wine Hojicha tea, and bay leaf and simmer for 2 minutes.

2. Increase heat to high and add mussels. Cover and cook stirring occasionally until mussels open 3-7 minutes.

3. Using slotted spoon, transfer opened mussels to serving bowl, leaving liquid in pot, discard unopened. Remove bay leaf.

4. Toast bread.

5. Whisk in butter, cream and lemon until thickens about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, pepper and simmer. Garnish with parsley and season to taste. Pour nage (broth) over mussels and serve with toasted bread.

Easy to make and tea-licious to eat...

Big Thanks to Steven Knoerr of 39 Steeps

Tea enthusiast Steven Knoerr recently reviewed our Green Twisted Spears on his tea blog 39 Steeps. This particular tea is an Organic & Fair Trade certified loose green tea from Sri Lanka - a region that has traditionally produced black teas, black ceylons.

He discusses the leaves, the tea, the preparation, the cup, and his overall impressions. We're pleased that he seemed to enjoy the tea overall and noticed the unique notes of the Sri Lankan terroir,

"I like how the Sri Lankan terroir affected the flavor of the green, because it was like finding a friendly acquaintance in an unusual place: say, a friend from church, greeting me when I'm climbing up a mountain slope in Colorado."

He also commented on the unique new taste of green tea from Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon),

"I've never had a green Ceylon before, and I'm pleased with the beautiful handcrafting of the leaf, which was sufficiently interesting to merit an experiment with the tea, all by itself. While this tea isn't as nuanced or bold as the Chinese greens I am more accustomed to, when taken on its own merit, it's pleasant. I'd be interested to see what kind of tea the Ceylon producers will be producing in a hundred years, after much practice and developing cultivars specifically for the green tea style."

You can read the full tea review here. Be sure to check out the comments section where an interesting discussion takes place about green teas from Sri Lanka - a relatively recent endeavor in this nation.

Thanks, Steven, for checking us out and for the feedback!