Chautauqua Tea chefs `aim to be good cooks'

By KATHY CROWN-WEBER
Contributing Writer

The Tea Leaf and The Brass Band Festival were born in Danville in the same year.

``We started the first year of the band festival,'' said Rosemary Hamblin. ``Jane (Stevens) and I got the wonderful idea for the Chautauqua Tea from Joanne Wilkerson. She's a wonderful cook, by the way.''

The Tea Leaf, located at 230 W. Broadway, has handled the food end of the annual Chautauqua Tea event every year for the past 10 years. This year's tea is 4 p.m.-6 p.m. June 10; admission is $13 per person and reservations are necessary. Tea will be served along with an array of foods provided by The Tea Leaf. Call 236-7456.

Both Hamblin and Stevens left the Danville school system to start The Tea Leaf, which features luncheon and tea items as well as regional cookbooks and children's books.

``Jane was the librarian at Jennie Rogers, and I taught first grade.''

Now in its 10th year, Hamblin and Stevens reflected on their first decade as business partners.

``It seems like just yesterday,'' said Stevens, who believes that the menu has come a long way since the beginning. ``We are always on the alert for new ideas and over the years we have lightened out menu. The chicken pot pie has been updated with less cream, and we have added vegetarian menu items. We get many requests for vegetarian entrees these days,'' said Stevens. ``We also get a lot of comments about our great cook,'' Stevens said, laughing. ``Well, we are the cooks. We started out as the cooks and we still cook all of our menu items. We aim to be good cooks.''

Nora Harrison Burnie of Danville echoes this sentiment. The mother of Pat Boatwright, who helps out during the luncheon service, Burnie will attend the Chautauqua Tea with two guests.

``I know that when I come down here the food will be good. I especially like the frozen strawberry dessert that they make.''

Hamblin quickly added, ``Jane must have been the only person who noticed that recipe years ago in Southern Living. It's a blend of strawberries and raspberries. That recipe is one that we include in our recipe cards. It sells like hotcakes, as does the recipe for our cornbread.''

Burnie is known for her hats.

``I wear a hat every Sunday to church. If I don't wear one, people come up and ask, `Where's the hat?''' Burnie, said laughing.

1999 Menu

Fruited Tea, Iced or Hot
Lemon Chocolate Chip Tea Bread
Zucchini Bread
(Bread served with Flavored Cream Cheeses)
Cucumber Sandwiches
Chicken Salad Puffs
Orange Scones
Fresh Fruit Kabobs
Blonde Brownies
Chocolate Brownies
Lemon Squares

Orange Scones

3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Grated zest of 2 oranges
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup white sugar
1 cup undiluted frozen orange juice
2 beaten eggs

Blend flour and butter with pastry blender until coarse crumbs form. Mix together baking powder, baking soda, orange zest, chopped pecans and sugar. Add to flour/butter mixture. Whisk together frozen undiluted orange juice with beaten eggs. Add to flour mixture and stir to combine. Drop onto cookie sheets, as you would cookies or drop biscuits. Bake 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees. Glaze with a mixture of orange juice and powdered sugar if desired.

Chocolate Brownies

2 sticks butter
2 cups white flour
7 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 beaten eggs
1 cup flour
Heaping tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup nuts
1/4 cup flour

Combine margarine, sugar, and cocoa until well blended. Add eggs, 1 cup flour, and sour cream. Mix well. Stir in chopped nuts and 1/4 cup flour. Spread in 9- by 13-inch greased pan. Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Blonde Brownies

1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 cup flour
1 heaping tablespoon sour cream
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup flour
Blend butter with brown sugar. Add beaten eggs, 1 cup flour, sour cream and baking powder. Stir in chopped nuts and 1/4 cup flour. Spread in greased 9- by 13-inch pan. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.