Afternoon Tea

"Come along inside.............

We'll see if tea and buns can

make the world a better place.."*

 

Before I moved to live in America I was living in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, a town situated on the coast along the North Sea. It was a beautiful place to live, had two sandy bays separated by a headland with a ruined castle on top, a lighthouse and small fishing fleet. But Scarborough didn't have many large stores, so in order to get our shopping fix, my friend Shirley and I used to drive the 65 odd miles inland to the city of York.

 

We would spend our day wandering around the town, trying on new clothes, browsing the galleries and gift shops and taking time to look for bargains in the antique and collectors stores.

 

No matter what time of year we went to York, it was always busy and lively and a fun day out. And whenever we went, we had to visit Mulberry Hall.* The premises date from 1434 and inside there are multiple rooms in which the most gorgeous china and crystal glass can be found. I loved looking around the store, but even better was heading up the narrow stairs to the tea room. Sometimes, we had to stand and wait for a table to become available, but we always waited, because having tea at Mulberry Hall was a part of our day out. It was special and something Shirley and I looked forward to each time we went to York.

 

The tea room was small but so pretty, with perfectly set tables and the murmur of conversation all around. The tables were beautifully set with delicate bone china, crisp linen napkins and good heavy cutlery. Shirley and I generally ordered the same things, salmon and cucumber sandwiches, a toasted teacake to follow, and of course a pot of English breakfast tea served with milk and sugar. Once we were served we poured ourselves a 'cuppa' ate our sandwiches, discussed our morning and what we still wanted to do, and just relaxed. It was the best part of the day.

 

And if you wish to make some salmon and cucumber sandwiches, here's my recipe for you:

 

• Thinly sliced whole wheat or white bread
• Tinned red salmon
• Good mayonnaise
• English cucumber
• Butter

 

Soften the butter and spread lightly on both slices of the bread. Drain the salmon, put it into a dish and remove all skin and bones, then break up with a fork. Add a spoonful of mayonnaise to the salmon and mix in gently. (The mayonnaise prevents the salmon from being too dry.)

 

Spread a good helping of the salmon mixture onto one slice of bread. If you are using an English cucumber, you do not need to peel it, just wash prior to slicing thinly. If you cannot get an English cucumber (also called 'seedless' or 'hot house') then remove the peel. Cover the salmon mixture with the thinly sliced cucumber, top with bread and cut the sandwich into four triangles.

 

Enjoy with a cup of tea!!

 

Wendy

 

 

 

 

*The Wind In The Willows



* http://www.mulberryhall.co.uk/