One of Philly's favorite food writers and resident canner, Marisa McClellan, treats her readers to delicious posts and recipes on her blog, Food in Jars. Within the past year, Marisa has inspired me to pick my own strawberries on a local farm, write an article about her, and begin pairing jams and teas. So, in an effort to soak in just a bit more of her creativity, I asked her a few questions and jam and tea:
If you hosted a tea party, what would jams would you serve?
I think a good marmalade might be the best thing for a tea party. I can also see a delicate lemon curd being a nice part of a spread as well (with good scones, there's nothing better).
Do you have a favorite tea?
I'm a big fan of the Mango with Leaves from the House of Tea on 4th Street. I first tried it at Ants Pants Cafe and have been hooked ever since.
Have you ever incorporated tea when making your jams?
I did make a Vanilla Rhubarb Jam with a bit of Earl Grey tea once. However, I don't do it regularly enough. I've actually been planning on trying to incorporate more herbal flavors into my jams.
Do you have a special mug that you like to drink your tea from?
I
most certainly have a favorite mug. It's one I found at a thrift store
in Portland, about five years ago. It's handmade, and seems to have
been designed to fit perfect in my grasp. You can see a picture of it
here (although, in that moment, it was holding coffee, not tea. I
realize that's blasphemy around here).
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