A Black & Blue Damask Tea

Today I'd like to sit and sip,

Forget about the world a bit,

Ignore the things I have to do,

And just enjoy a cup or two.

~Author Unknown

Greetings, Reader! How are you on this delightful Sunday evening? Here we are wrapping up another fine June weekend. I adore this time of year when everything is growing like gangbusters and it's not yet so hot I can't stand myself. These mornings of waking up to cool air and welcome sunshine slipping in through the bedroom shades are precious and fleeting. The gentle evenings make me want to fall asleep rocking in a hammock under the stars...

So when a friend I haven't seen in some time agreed to come to a late evening tea this week, I thought what could be better than a softly-lit tablescape that reflects a cool, starry summer night?

Black & Blue & White All Over

By now you may have noticed my deep and abiding attachment to black & white damask, Reader. I use it in many of my tablescapes not just because it speaks to my sense of style, but also because it's really versatile and can be paired well with almost any color. 

Here the damask tea set and plates create a backdrop that makes these delightful royal blue bandanna napkins pop like a gorgeous night sky. (Found these cotton napkins on clearance at Pier 1 a few years ago.) Bandanna napkins are perfect for outdoor teas & picnics. Or for bringing that outdoorsy feel inside.

White trivets, serving pieces and tablecloths allow the black and blue to take center stage. Meanwhile, an assorted group of mercury glass votive & tealight holders add a warm, silvery glow reminiscent of starlight. Damask glassware adds a whole new level of WOW--or substitute simple, clear drinkware to blend in easily. A vase filled with black and white damask taper candles (another clearance find) makes a lovely, candle-lit piece de resistance.

Late Hour: Simple Fare

My friend would not arrive until after 7pm and though she would be hungry, I didn't want to send her home on a long drive with an over-stuffed tummy. For a tea served later in the evening, my solution was to serve one light, main dish to be followed by a charming, uncomplicated dessert and a delicious, caffeine-free tea that won't keep my guest up for hours later on.

Black & Blue Damask Tea Menu

• Herbed Savory Crepes Stuffed with Chicken Salad
• Find a simple crepe recipe you like and once the batter is in the pan, use a pair of kitchen shears to snip bits of fresh chive and herbs into each crepe and season lightly with salt and pepper before flipping. Once the crepe is slightly browned on both sides, slide it onto a plate, stuff with your favorite chicken salad (store-bought is fine), roll it up and serve on a bed of arugula, lettuce or herbs. Delicious!

• Sweet Quickbread Bars with Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting
• Mix up a batch of your favorite sweet quickbread dough (I happened to have pumpkin on hand) and instead of putting it in a loaf pan, pour the dough into a greased, square brownie pan and bake for 15-20 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean). Let it cool slightly, then cut into squares.
• Mix 1-2 8z pkgs of cream cheese with a sweet flavoring that compliments your quickbread (Try pumpkin pie spice, splash of vanilla extract and 1/2 cup of sugar for pumpkin bread; lemon juice and sugar for lemon or blueberry breads; splash of maple syrup for banana or zucchini breads or experiment with your own). Slice each quickbread square in half horizontally and spoon a luscious dollop of your homemade cream cheese frosting in the middle, or just plop a spoonful on top and serve!

And there you have it, Reader: a delicious and summery late evening tea that gives a nod to the celestial night sky overhead. Might I suggest a little star-gazing outside after tea as the perfect finish? Lying barefoot in the grass with a friend and laughing as you look up at a luminous night sky--what more could a modern girl want?

Perhaps it is while drinking tea that I most of all enjoy the sense of leisure. ~George Gissing

Tea quotes courtesy of the Quote Garden.