“Loose Leaf Teas and Tea Wares.”
Karla’s Specialteas is committed to providing only the freshest natural and organic loose leaf teas. Working with wonderful small, local organic producers and wild craft herbs to include in their blends whenever possible. February's delivery told you to visit the website for a delicious recipe using Karla's Specialteas and here it is:
Tea Crème Brulee
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Combine the vanilla, cream & tea in a heavy saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. When it starts to simmer turn off the heat & let it steep. Meanwhile, put a kettle on to boil water. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks & sugar until they become thick & pale yellow in colour. Once the tea has steeped in the cream for ten minutes, strain the cream into a clean bowl, discarding the tea. Very slowly drizzle the warm cream into the egg yolks whisking to combine. Place four crème brûlée ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins. Place the baking sheet in the pre-heated oven & pour the boiling water from the kettle into the bottom of the sheet pan until it reaches half way up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until set. The custard will be quite wobbly and will jiggle from side to side but should not be liquid in the centre. Remove the ramekins from the pan & cool on a cooling rack until cool enough to touch. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. When you are ready to serve the crème brûlée, take the ramekins out of the fridge, uncover them & sprinkle an even layer of sugar over the whole surface & tap out any excess sugar. Ignite a culinary torch & hold it near the ramekin so the flame is parallel to the surface of the custard. You want the heat from the flame to be very close to the sugar so it caramelizes, but not directly in contact with it or it will burn. Move the torch around the surface of the custard in a slow, even motion so as not to burn the sugar. Caramelize the surface of all four crème brûlées. Serve immediately.
“Enjoy the Simple Goodness.”
Snapz are gently dehydrated at a low temperature using innovative technology, maintaining almost all of the natural goodness of the raw ingredients, specifically the vitamins. Snapz is made from slices of fruit & vegetables with NO added sugar, salt, fat, artificial flavours or colourings, preservatives or additives. Cool. 
www.snapzcrisps.com
“This is ultra-premium, albacore tuna.”
Chef Ned Bell has been a leader in the sustainable seafood movement in Canada for years. This summer, to raise awareness Ned rode his bike across Canada. We are really proud of the work he does and wanted you to know about it. This tuna was sold to raise funds for the ride - we know you are going to love it. Canned by Organic Ocean, one of Vancouver’s best known sustainable fisheries, this is ultra-premium, albacore tuna that has been sustainably caught off the coast of Vancouver Island and canned with no additional ingredients.
The Garlic Box is Canada’s leading premier company of gourmet garlic food products, made with select cold-climate garlic. The Garlic Box process more than 40,000 lbs. of fresh Ontario garlic each year. Innovative products offer choice, locally sourced ingredients, that will elevate humble foods to star status - every day. Ontario garlic is prized for its superior health benefits & flavor. http://www.thegarlicbox.com/
Garlic Mango Dressing from the Garlic Box
Premium mango puree and select, local Ontario garlic combines into a lush, smooth dressing perfectly balanced for spinach & fruit salad, finishing sauce for meats or BBQ fruit. A delicious binder for vegetables, meat & seafood stir-fries.
Aji (pronounced Ah-HEE) is the Latin American word for all hot peppers. Used for centuries as a condiment and digestive stimulant, it is believed to have healing powers. Ají is traditionally used in moderation with every meal - Ají is for Latin America what Ketchup is for North America. Simply mash fresh avocados, add Aji and stir until you have the most delicious, easiest, perfectly chunky guacamole. You will find plenty of ways to use Aji, you're going to need more!
Cooking with Saffron
Saffron, the yellow-orange stigmas from a small purple saffron crocus, is the world's most expensive spice. That's because each flower provides only 3 red stigmas. One ounce of saffron = approximately 14,000 of these tiny saffron threads. The tiny red threads of saffron must be handpicked from the centre of the crocus flower. Fortunately, a little bit of saffron goes a long way. In fact, too much saffron can ruin a dish with an overpowering, medicinal taste. Saffron needs moisture to release its flavor. The best way to extract flavor from saffron is to soak the threads in hot (not boiling) liquid for 5 to 20 minutes.
As the saffron soaks, you'll notice the distinctive aroma indicating that your saffron "tea" is ready.
* Turmeric may be substituted for the colour properties, not the flavour. * Don't use wooden utensils when mixing saffron. Wood utensils tend to absorb saffron easily. Since saffron is so expensive, you won't want to waste any of it.
