5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ERIN GREEN
AI still do traditional scones, but I mix it up to make it more modern. Like instead of a cheese stone, I have a jalapeno cheddar. And I do a seasonal menu. We always have blueberries because everybody loves them, but during the holidays, we switch to a pumpkin or cranberry, in keeping with the flavors of the season.
We also have tea cakes, which are actually cakes infused with tea. The one that's really popular this month is the Earl Grey tea cake. Carrot cake and
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She loves vegetable gardening but is learning how to grow flowers for her business. Married to husband Tony Actone for 10 years; together they have a blended family with five children.
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eclairs are popular too and we have a pink champagne cake that does really well. It's pink, so it's pretty, and it's decorated with dried rose petals so everybody loves that. I also have a matcha tea cake and a chamomile tea cake.
What about tea sandwiches?
Coronation chicken is a classic. I like to throw that in there because it's something that especially American audiences may not know a lot about, but it's a very, very British sandwich filling.
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She is semi-fluent in Italian.
She got her start in customer service working at San Francisco's Nordstrom while in college. Favorite tea is Baroness Grey.
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It's kind of like a chicken salad but with golden raisins with a little bit of curry. And you can't go wrong with cucumber and egg salad sandwiches.
Where did you learn to bake?
I'm self-taught. With everything shutting down during the pandemic, a lot of chefs were selling digital classes online. So I've done some of that and watched a lot on YouTube.
QWhat is the most fun for you?
AI think that's the most fun part is like being able to be creative. So, I do have a typical chocolate eclair, but I've done ones with a cheesecake filling or rose cream instead of a regular pastry cream, or lemon meringue. I think about what kind of flavors I can put in this and make it something special.
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How long does it take to prepare your foods and where do you do that?
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I prepare them at a commercial kitchen in Pittsburg. When you're getting to the deserts — especially the more complicated things — it's several days of prep work. I have to make my pastry cream at least 12 hours before because it has to properly set.
What kind of tea do you offer?
We have a supplier in Canada and they only
do wholesale leaf teas. I feel really confident because they're all ethically sourced teas. I carry 10 different blends, but I'm always trying new ones. I want to be more seasonally based. So I'm always looking to add something new and fun.
I always have two versions of Earl Grey tea as they have subtle differences. I have a Russian Earl Grey and I also have one called Baroness Grey, which has rose petals, orange peels and lime leaves. I also carry two types of chai tea because that's something that's exotic and different. I had some fun stuff for February. There's one called Be Mine Chocolate Strawberry and that one was a super hit, so it'll probably be a year-round thing. It's mainly fruity with some cocoa bits, strawberry and hibiscus. But one of my favorites is called Prince Harry and Megan's Royal Wedding blend, based on a South African Rooibos leaf
Where do you take your tea trailer?
We've been part of the Foodie Crew (food truck events), gone to a local park and we're working with some wineries. We only travel in Contra Costa County for now. Since we are on the trailer now, there are new insights that I'm gaining, such as iced teas are doing really well. But, of course, it's still cool in the evening. So, when we did Foodie Crew, we were selling iced tea and then the sun went down and we switched to hot tea.
What are your plans for the future?
Eventually, I want to open a tea room. I can't afford a tea room yet, but this is a way to get out there and do what I want to do right now until it's time, until I get enough capital to have an actual physical space.