The Art of Food: honey

Preserved Plum Tea

{Tea is a religion of the art of life.}

quote by Okakura

One cannot help but love the ceremony of making and drinking tea. Warm tea offers a comforting invitation to slow down, sip and savor life's quiet moment. Iced tea provides a welcome and refreshing repose to the hot summer humidity. However this beautiful crimson-colored tea is served, choose beautiful cups that will delight the senses as much as the tea itself.

Enjoy it in the spirit of the ancient tea masters.

To make preserved plum tea:

1 tea bag or 2 Tablespoons loose plum, pomegranate, or strawberry tea

4 Bella Cucina Organic Plums in Syrup

Bella Cucina Organic Acacia Honey

In a tea kettle, heat spring or purified water until boiling.

Cut the plums in half and remove the pits.

Pour the water into the tea pot with the tea bag and plums.

Steep 4 to 5 minutes, then remove the tea bag.

Serve warm with honey or stir in honey to taste and refrigerate until cool.

If serving cold, pour chilled and sweetened tea into glasses filled with crushed ice and a sprig of garden herb {mint, marjoram, rosemary or lavender}. Garnish with a slice of preserved plum.

Preserved Plum Tea {photography Andrew Thomas Lee Photography}

Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Lime Blossom Honey

Dipping Sauce

Fresh shrimp from the savannah coast is reason enough to keep it on the menu often.
We've given you another reason, our lime blossom honey.
This is just one of many ways you can pair the two lovelies together
for a refreshingly sweet and savory snack.

12-16 shrimp

zest and juice of one lime

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons Lime Blossom Honey

Soak 8 inch wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes.

This will prevent the wood from burning on the fire.

Remove the shells from the shrimp, leaving on only the tail.

Starting at the tail side first, thread the pointed end of the skewer through the middle of the shrimp until you have skewered the entire shrimp. the end of the shrimp should be at the edge of the flat end of the skewer, without any edges showing. Continue until you have skewered all of the shrimp.

Refrigerate until ready to toss with sauce and grill.

To make the marinade and dipping sauce:

In a medium bowl, add the lime zest and juice, vinegar, salt and honey. Whisk until smooth.

Divide the mixture in half. Toss the skewered shrimp with one part of the sauce just before cooking. Let the shrimp marinate with the sauce for about 15-20 minutes. Use the remaining sauce to serve with the grilled shrimp. Serve the shrimp warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6- 8 as an appetizer

4 as a main course. *

*Serve with a gorgeous green jade pearl bamboo rice from our friends at Lotus Foods.

The Art of Food

Preserved Plum Tea: a Reflection

Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Lime Blossom Honey Dipping Sauce