www.AmishBuggyRides.com We Absolutely Offer You More! 7 Different Routes, More Miles, More Scenery. All in the Country in All Amish Area! Free Parking...Lots of It! Located at: Plain & Fancy Farm Ride through 3121 Old Philadelphia Pike our covered bridge! Ronks PA 17572
“The Cookie Run” Ride, an Amish Wagon Ride to an Amish farm for homemade cookies, pretzels, and drinks. Cannot be combined with other offers.
by Clinton Martin
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oted local pastry chef Paul Lenyo allowed me to step into his kitchen at Sugarplums & Tea for a tutorial on what I would discover as the delicious world of tea. While Chef Paul prides himself on creating wonderful little dessert treats to pair with his many teas, it is the jars and jars filled with layer upon layer of blended leaves that draw in tea aficionados. Intrigued by one of his recommendations, I chose the Walnut Green Tea. This blend, made especially for drinking nice and hot, is purported to have a positive effect on one’s health. I wasn’t sure about that, but I do know that the complex flavors certainly had a positive effect on my palate. The process of creating my perfect tea moment had begun well in advance. The green tea leaf enzymes are rendered inactive by steaming, or at times, pan firing, thereby preventing the natural fermentation process that would otherwise occur. The result...leaves, mild and delicate, produced a delightful tea with a sweet and smooth flavor. The walnut scent had a definite and pleasing presence; and, after the first sip, the nutty taste followed suit. The proper accoutrements helped accentuate the experience, which in a nutshell, meant that there was not a tea bag to be found. Truly, I loved every moment of the luscious, leafy, tea. After a welcome scone break back in the kitchen (they happened to be popping steaming fresh out of the oven) I returned to the tempting tea task at hand. Now, it was all about iced tea. Iced tea has become so universally mainstream that I was skeptical that a shred of artisanal creativity had a place. Drop a bag into boiling water, add a few cubes of ice and call it a day, right? Wrong! Paul suggested a Lotta Colada blend for me, a mixture especially designed for iced tea. This process consisted of a few basic steps. First, we started with one ounce of loose tea, which was to make about two quarts of the finished beverage. Allowing for evaporation, we brought a little more than two quarts of water to a rolling boil, and removed it from the stove. Into the still bubbling pot, we placed the tea infuser (a metal strainer type basket) which gently cradled the loose tea from being buffeted about in the tempest of the boiling water. With the quick-paced conversation of teacher and student that ensued, the six minute steeping time seemed but a few seconds for me. I learned Continued on Page 26
16 • Amish Country News • October 2011 • AmishNews.com