California is truly the Golden State. It has a culture all its own inspired by people who treasure tradition and embrace innovation. It is a place of natural and man-made wonders from the towering redwoods and Yosemite to the Golden Gate Bridge and the old Spanish missions that connect this glorious state from south to north like a string of luminous pearls. California is the home of the film industry and the birthplace of the computer. Owned successively by Spain and Mexico before joining the United States, this multi-cultural paradise is also the place where the Food Revolution began. California Cuisine heralds the return of real food—fresh, natural and simply but elegantly prepared.
Our California Afternoon Tea celebrates the agricultural abundance of the Golden State. Let’s take a real or imaginary road trip on the most beautiful road in the world, Highway One, down the magnificent California coastline from the wine country, past Marin County’s dairy farms, the garlic, artichoke and berry fields of Gilroy, Castroville and Watsonville, to the orange, avocado and pomegranate groves of the sunny south. Along the way we will honor the California farmers, vintners, fisherman and food artisans who have made this menu possible. |
San Jose: Before Silicon Valley
If you drive south on 280 freeway, Gradually the stumbling skyline Of San Jose lumbers into view-- Thin palm trees, pastel buildings, Spanish tiles, and the spires of the old Portuguese church, Five Wounds. The smell of hot tomato paste From the Cantadina cannery Blows warmly in your open window And is replaced a minute later By the September stench of asphalt. This big slow town Where nothing has ever happened Except the certain birth and death Of a million apricots, The swift wounding of tomatoes in summer And Portuguese masses-- This big warm town Somehow homes a million lives Unseen under the beige haze of summer’s end. 
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A California Haiku Road Trip: San Jose to San Diego
In Watsonville fog, Pepper trees dangle Near the still lagoon,
New quinces and sweet peas scent Over oranges; the A great gray heron watches
The cool afternoon. Loud humming of bees. A rabbit hop by.
A hawk soars over In the warm noon air, Under the full moon,
Highway 101, passing A California condor Jacaranda blossoms fall
An artichoke field. Soars down the canyon. In hazy twilight.
Under the live oak Sea gulls at Del Mar
With his tail feathers fanned, the Beach stand with the surfers on
Peacock struts and squawks The cold, foggy sand.
In Watsonville fog, Pepper trees dangle Near the still lagoon,
New quinces and sweet peas scent Over oranges; the A great gray heron watches
The cool afternoon. Loud humming of bees. A rabbit hop by.
A hawk soars over In the warm noon air, Under the full moon,
Highway 101, passing A California condor Jacaranda blossoms fall
An artichoke field. Soars down the canyon. In hazy twilight.
Under the live oak Sea gulls at Del Mar
With his tail feathers fanned, the Beach stand with the surfers on
Peacock struts and squawks The cold, foggy sand.
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Menu
Beverages:
Orange Ginger Mint Tea by Republic of Tea
Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider
Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
California Wine Suggestions:
California Champagne (Schramsberg,
Markham or Hanna Sauvignon Blanc
J. Lohr or Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay
Chalone, J. Rochioli or Acacia Pinot Noir
Savories:
Shrimp, Vegetable and Fresh Herb Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Crab Salad Sandwiches on Sourdough Bread
Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Pinwheels on Tortilllas
Avocado and Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches on Foccacia
Artichoke Frittata Squares
Cheese Trio: Cowgirl Creamery Brie, Point Reyes Blue and Humboldt Fog by Cypress Grove with Fresh Figs, Toasted Almonds and Pomegranate Seeds
Breads and Scones:
Golden Raisin Scones with Clotted Cream and Fresh Raspberries in Cabernet Gelee
Sweets:
Queen of California Cake (Dark Chocolate Torte with Apricots and Ground Almonds)
Gosby House Gingerbread with Orange Bavarian Cream
Almond Butter Cookies
Flan
Beverages:
Orange Ginger Mint Tea by Republic of Tea
Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider
Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
California Wine Suggestions:
California Champagne (Schramsberg,
Markham or Hanna Sauvignon Blanc
J. Lohr or Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay
Chalone, J. Rochioli or Acacia Pinot Noir
Savories:
Shrimp, Vegetable and Fresh Herb Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Crab Salad Sandwiches on Sourdough Bread
Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Pinwheels on Tortilllas
Avocado and Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches on Foccacia
Artichoke Frittata Squares
Cheese Trio: Cowgirl Creamery Brie, Point Reyes Blue and Humboldt Fog by Cypress Grove with Fresh Figs, Toasted Almonds and Pomegranate Seeds
Breads and Scones:
Golden Raisin Scones with Clotted Cream and Fresh Raspberries in Cabernet Gelee
Sweets:
Queen of California Cake (Dark Chocolate Torte with Apricots and Ground Almonds)
Gosby House Gingerbread with Orange Bavarian Cream
Almond Butter Cookies
Flan
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Recipes Included:
Shrimp, Vegetable and Fresh Herb Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce These fresh rolls are wrapped in softened rice paper wrappers and served raw; it’s like a rolled up salad bursting with herbs. The rice paper wrappers are available in Asian markets, in several sizes. We use the larger size for fresh rolls at lunch and the smaller size to serve at a spring or summer tea. We find that guests really enjoy the addition of fresh Summer Rolls at tea, and the accompanying dipping sauce is positively addictive. Crab Salad Sandwiches Freshness and simplicity are the keys to making these unforgettable California classic sandwiches. Buy a loaf of fresh sliced sourdough bread the day of your tea party and pick up half a pound of freshly cooked and shelled Dungeness Crab at a reliable fish market. Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Pinwheels on Tortillas These attractive Pinwheel snacks are a popular buffet and party food at California gatherings, and fortunately for the host or hostess, they are the easiest item on this menu to make. Avocado and Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches California farmers grow an abundance of vegetables, and roasting them is one of the best ways to enjoy the natural flavors of fresh vegetables. This presentation pairs roasted vegetables with slices of ripe avocado on chewy Focaccia bread. Buy a fresh Focaccia the day of your California Tea, or make your own using our easy recipe. Artichoke Frittata Wedges Some California Cuisine purists will frown at this recipe, as it calls for marinated artichokes from a jar rather than fresh artichokes. However, we stand by this old recipe, which we have adapted from Sunset, a magazine dedicated to life in the American West. First of all, this is the easiest recipe imaginable. You can whip up the ingredients in a food processor in minutes and bake the frittata the day before your gathering. Secondly, this no-fail procedure will produce delicious savory cheesy little squares or wedges that everyone will enjoy, and you can serve them cold, at room temperature, or still warm from the oven. You can even serve them directly from the pan in which they were baked if you wish. Half a ripe cherry tomato on top of each square or wedge would make a charming garnish. Basic Butter Scones with Golden Raisins Make sure to include California grown Golden Raisins in these classic buttery scones. Serving them with Mock Devonshire Cream adds a traditional touch while the Raspberries in Cabernet Gelee provide an innovative twist on the usual raspberry jam. See our variation for Double Cherry Scones. Mock Devonshire Clotted Cream First produced in Devonshire, England, Devonshire Cream is a thick, clotted cream that tastes delicious and is easy to spread on Scones. Authentic Devonshire Cream is hard to find in the United States, but you can make your own “Clotted Cream” with our easy recipe. It is the perfect partner for Golden Raisin Scones. Raspberries in Cabernet Gelee Use your pretty wine or liqueur glasses to highlight one of California’s most lauded and recognizable products, wine. Fresh berries are suspended in a burgundy-hued gelee, making a deliciously rich yet light dessert offering. Queen of California Cake (Dark Chocolate Torte with Apricots and Ground Almonds) Kathleen developed this lush dark chocolate cake after months of trial and error. As she admits, this cake is labor-intensive, finicky and small but well worth the effort. You must have an 8-inch round metal cake pan, and you cannot even think of substituting another size or shape. The good news is that the chopped apricots and ground almonds (California products, of course,) create a deep dense flavor, and the beaten egg whites keep this torte delicately moist. Serve it on your best cake pedestal with the elegant shiny chocolate glaze and chocolate dipped apricots for decoration. Gosby House Gingerbread The Gosby House is an elegant bead and breakfast in a charming old Victorian home overlooking the ocean in Pacific Grove, California. Several of Kathleen’s friends have worked there, and Kathleen adapted this recipe. The Gosby House is famous for its Gingerbread, which guests remember and look forward to enjoying on repeat visits. This is an ultra-moist and sticky Gingerbread with extra ginger for a deep, spicy flavor. This recipe makes more batter than will fit into a 13” x 9” baking pan, so Kathleen recommends making the extra into cupcakes or madeleines. Plan to serve the Gosby House Gingerbread from the pan since it is too sticky to turn out reliably. This traditional Gingerbread is glorious with whipped cream and lemon curd, but we also recommend serving it with Orange Bavarian Cream. Orange Bavarian Cream Although invented in France, not in Bavaria, Bavarian Cream is a silky combination of flavored gelatin, custard and whipped cream. We have chosen this ethereal dessert for our California Tea because this version contains fresh orange juice from the gorgeous naval oranges that grow abundantly in southern California. Another reason for featuring a French recipe in our California Tea is the close cultural connection between France and California, especially in the culinary industries. California wines, cheeses and breads are all influenced by French traditions, and California Cuisine is based on French principles—use only the finest and freshest ingredients, and whenever possible, serve foods that have been grown, raised or sourced close to the place where these foods will be eaten. These principles are easy to maintain, as California is America’s most productive agricultural state, and the abundance of fine quality ingredients has nurtured the thriving restaurant industry in California. As in France, many of California’s finest restaurants maintain their own gardens, and many of California’s best chefs, such as Tomas Keller from The French Laundry and David Kinch from Manresa, were trained in France. Nearly forty restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area alone have been awarded Michelin Stars from the prestigious French Michelin Guide, more evidence of the California-French connection. We think you will love the Orange Bavarian Cream on our menu. It will pair perfectly with the Gingerbread, but it is also exquisite served alone, prepared in a decorative mold. It will only take you a few minutes to squeeze the orange by hand, for the freshest juice possible. This beautiful dessert is perfect in all four seasons, and can be garnished accordingly with candied violets, orange sections, fresh strawberries or even candied cranberries at Christmas time. It would also be lovely at Easter surrounded by fresh rose petals. Almond Butter Cookies These simple butter cookies, enlivened with toasted California almonds, are easy to make in the food processor and exquisite to eat. You can make them fancier by dipping them in dark chocolate or adding colored sprinkles, but you cannot make them taste any better. Flan Flan is a Spanish-inspired baked caramel custard that is ever-present in Mexican restaurants throughout California. Flan is also popular in the Philippines and even Japan, countries that also came in contact with Spanish culture. There are dozens of recipes and variations for flan, including pumpkin and orange versions, but we offer this basic and foolproof recipe that you can make the night before your party and keep in the refrigerator until serving time. Flan is essentially a magical upside-down custard in which the caramel is baked on the bottom of the pan and the custard is baked on top of the caramel. At serving time, this concoction is inverted onto a serving platter to reveal a lovely golden sauce dripping over the creamy white custard. For this recipe, you will make caramel from scratch by boiling sugar and water in a saucepan; you will then pour the caramel into a metal cake pan to which you will add the custard ingredients to be baked in the oven. Do not use a decorative glass or ceramic cake or pie pan, as the hot caramel can crack and break glass or ceramic dishes. Sadly, Rose learned this lesson the hard way, but she still makes flan in her metal cake pan every Christmas. |
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