Dans Papers - May 25, 2007 - Hamptons High Tea

East End farm stands are now offering early crops of asparagus, artichokes, baby lettuce and strawberries. This spring, celebrate the season's bountiful harvest with an elegant tea. There is no better way to showcase these fresh, vibrant flavors than with the hors d'oeuvre-style menu of a tea.

Afternoon or high tea became a tradition in the late 1700s, when the Duchess of Bedford lamented the long hours between her noontime lunch and late dinners. The royal court appeased her by serving trays of tiny sandwiches and dainty pastries with tea in the late afternoon. This daily ritual eventually trickled down through British society until the working class and royalty alike were satisfying their mid-afternoon hunger with a snack. Today, tea has come to represent an elegant and feminine way to serve a light yet satisfying repast that won't spoil one's supper. Although modern tea time has been toned down to suit busy lifestyles, one eternal tradition of a formal tea is the accompanying abundance of fancy finger food.

Keep your tea simple yet sophisticated by building your menu around bread. Instead of using bread to serve cliched tea snoozers like cucumber and watercress sandwiches, cut the bread into thin rounds, brush them with olive oil and press firmly into mini muffin tins and toast for ten minutes at 375 degrees. In fact, edible cups can be made from just about any grain-based product, such as pita, corn tortillas, wonton skins and pizza dough. Toasting helps retain the round, cup shape and becomes a charming, mess-free medium for all of your fresh ingredients.

Asparagus is one of the most anticipated vegetables of the spring season. Since super-fresh asparagus is only available for a short time in the spring, use it throughout your tea menu. A simple filling for the bread cups is diced asparagus tossed with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and topped with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Showcase asparagus at your tea by wrapping quickly blanched stalks in thin slices of salty prosciutto served in bud vases or terra cotta planters. If you prefer a more edible arrangement, stand the stalks in a hollowed out round of rustic bread or a de-hearted artichoke. Even the classic American tea treat, the devilled egg, makes a harmonious vehicle for thinly sliced asparagus stalks.

Artichoke leaves aren't just for peeling and dipping - they too can make a seasonal and flavorful finger food for your tea. Fresh steamed artichoke leaves pair nicely with a lemony dollop of hummus or a small scoop of dill yogurt and cucumber salad. Any vegetable you have on hand can hold savory spreads. Cream cheese mixed with freshly chopped dill and parsley makes a particularly tasty complement to raw spring vegetables. Instead of having your guests dip, decorate the cut vegetables with cream cheese piped from a pastry bag and top with fresh garlic, lemon zest or scallions.

Crab is also fresh and widely available in the springtime. Instead of stand by spreads like mayonnaise, the subtle flavor of seafood is best enhanced by an acidic spritz of freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice and some finely diced red onions. This light crab salad can be served in the bread cups or in hollowed out cherry tomatoes. If you've got some fine, intact crab claws, wrap them in leaves of fresh baby lettuces and secure with a toothpick. Miniature crab cakes make a hearty finger food for a tea and can be prettied up by a dollop of herb infused creme fraiche.

For dessert, feature springtime's celebrity fruit - the strawberry. Both sweet and tart, strawberries pair well with a variety of dessert toppings. Take advantage of this diversity by giving your guests access to an assortment of individual mini-fondues. Fill foil mini-muffin cups with a variety of dips like caramel, melted dark chocolate spiked with liqueur and ricotta flavored with honey and vanilla. Drop a large strawberry into each of these and your guests will be more than happy to double dip! For a variation on the bread cups, make individual tart shells using a basic pie dough recipe and fill with pureed strawberries and fresh whipped cream topped with crushed almonds or pistachios.

Be sure to offer an array of herbal teas to complement your spring harvest menu alongside traditional choices.

10 stalks of fresh asparagus, blanched and chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Lightly toss together the first four ingredients and top with cheese. Serve warm.

8 oz. fine dark chocolate, chopped
2 tsp. instant coffee
1 tbsp. Frangelico
1 tbsp. heavy cream
1/4 c. chopped toasted almonds

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. When smooth, remove from heat and add the remaining three ingredients. Mix well. Stir in almonds. Serve warm with fresh fruit, cookies or sponge cake.