Linderhof


Gardening, Cooking and Decorating on the Prairie of Kansas


Welcome to Linderhof, our 1920's home on the prairie, where there's usually something in the oven, flowers in the garden for tabletops and herbs in the garden for cooking. Where, when company comes, the teapot is always on and there are cookies and cakes to share in the larder.

Friday, June 26, 2009

A Garden Tour Respite

Garden touring is tiring. And on the prairie it is often hot. So when we were on tour at Linderhof, we baked shortbread cookies for our tour guests and served them in the breakfast room. A place where our tour guests could go to get out of the sun and heat.
Since our garden is mostly herbal, we did herbal shortbread -- lavender, rosemary and orange, and ginger lemon. A nice selection for our guests.
But garden touring is thirsty as well and so we had a jar full of herbal green tea. The jar filled with ice before the tea was poured in, it was a cool drink in a mostly hot day.

The rooster dispenser was a gift from a dear friend and one which I treasure. The sign was a new acquisition from Sur La Table -- slate so you can change as you change your beverage!
The slate sign worked as well on the bee skep that protected the cookies.
Since it was a garden tour, I thought bee skeps would be a great theme for the cookie table. A metal skep under which the cookies were served and two smaller grass ones just to decorate the table. The big skep was from Red Cedar, a favorite garden store of mine. The littlest one was also from there while the bigger one was from a favorite Fort Scott store, Iron Star.

The shortbread is my favorite -- plain, with herbs added, with ginger and lemon. It's a great shortbread and so easy to make.

Our guests enjoyed their brief respite -- and I enjoyed sharing my green tea and my herbal cookies.

6 comments:

Deanna said...

Your tour with refreshments sounds wonderful. Wish I could have participated in this event.

It is wonderful that you shared your home and gardens plus refreshments to others.

Have a blessed Summer.
Prairie fun,
~Deanna~

Bumble Bee Cottage said...

Hi Martha, you drink dispenser is fabulous. What a great idea. I wouldn't mind a glass myself. I love shortbread; I usually make my Nan's recipe but I do make lemon and poppy seed occasionally. You combinations sound lovely, so I'll make a note of them in my cookbook so next time I remember to give one of them a go.

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

I love that tea dispenser! Absolutely gorgeous! And your bee skeps are charming. You have such a great eye for vignettes. I know your guests enjoyed this so much. laurie

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Love the bee skeps and the wire one is so different. Just gorgeous. Your beverage dispenser is so beautiful. What a wonderful and pretty treat for the visitors. Hugs, Marty

niartist said...

Martha - now I'm REALLY wishing I had been on that tour! A chance to tour one of Linderhof's rooms, too!?!?!? WOW! I'm afraid to do that here - long story. Anyway, your mint tea made me think of a GREAT GREAT GREAT plant that I bought today, Giant Hyssop. I think that's how you spell it. Anyway - on the tag it says you can put it into tea. It's like a licorice plant. It smells divine! I can't wait til' the fall to make a sachet to giveaway on the blog! Those cookies sound GREAT too! Mmmm - it's late and I'm thinking cookies ... not good! LOL!

Nancy's Daily Dish said...

I love the bee skep display / cookie table and the way you plated the cookies under the wire bee skep...that is so cute! I just got my first skep a week or so ago...it's small and it's new but I just love it!