Hail the month of May! One of my favorite months has arrived, bringing with it warm weather, longer days and a bounty of greening gardens, festivals and special events.
Kicking off the month were two extraordinary events last weekend on the same day: King Charles III’s coronation and the Kentucky Derby – a delightful coincidence considering horse-racing has always been dubbed the sport of kings.
I watched both events while I sipped a mint julep and devoured a real English scone baked using a recipe provided by one the king’s former subjects, Jackie James, owner of The London Tea Room.
James toasted to the new monarch while eating her popular scones, which are featured on the menu. James also holds cooking classes to teach the fine points of baking a perfect scone.
“The secret to a great scone is not to overwork the dough. Rub the flour and butter together by hand, which will make a much lighter, fluffier scone,” she said.
James shares The London Tea Room’s recipe. Serve it with jam and mock clotted cream or whipped heavy cream (whipped from 40% butterfat cream) for a plate that will be fit to serve the royalty residing in your castle.
Pair it with mint julep, one of America’s must beloved cocktails. More than the un-official drink of the Kentucky Derby, the mint julep’s history spans several centuries before it evolved into the classic sipping libation enjoyed throughout the American South.
The secret to making a great mint julep is to use Kentucky bourbon and native mint -Kentucky mint. A recipe that has been used years before the first Kentucky Derby that was run in 1875. Historians feel mint juleps were not doubt served during that first race. I would bet even money Mint juleps were drank on the sly on Derby Day throughout Prohibition. Yet, it wasn’t until after Prohibition in the 1930s mint juleps became the official Derby drink.
Chris Morris, emeritus master distiller for Woodford Reserve Bourbon and American spirits historian, explained how juleps were originally a morning drink. The spirited equivalent to coffee today, it was a favorite with early risers such as farmers and horse trainers. So it comes as no surprise that the drink started showing up at regional horse races, where the mint julep made the transition from a morning drink to a sipping cocktail.
The month of May also yields the season’s first bounty of salad greens. And here’s good news for salad lovers and those who fondly remember the Mayfair dressing served at Joe Edward’s iconic Blueberry Hill: The landmark Delmar Loop eatery has brought back the dressing for the month of May.
“Mayfair dressing was one of our customers’ favorites, which we took off the menu years ago because it was so difficult to kept fresh. It must be made fresh daily using bunches of celery, onion, anchovies, lemon juice, pepper, mustard and mayonnaise,” Edwards said. “The proportions are so perfect and it’s so delectable. That’s why customers have railed on me for years to bring it back.”
Before May fades into June, make a trip to Blueberry Hill and sample the Mayfair dressing. It’s the only way to compare Blueberry Hill’s in-house recipe with the recipe you’ll make at home.
Scones, a salad dressed with Mayfair dressing, and a cooling Mint Julep is my winning trifecta light-picnic menu. And thanks to The London Tea Room, Blueberry Hill and Woodford Reserve for sharing the recipes that will make May 2023 memorable.
London Tea Room Scones
3 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
pinch salt
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
¾ -1 cup currants or favorite fruit
1 cup milk (you may need a little more – add as needed)
1 egg beaten (egg wash)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub in flour and butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Make a well in the center and add milk. You may need to add more.
Mix with spatula, then with your hands. Pat the dough mixture down until flattened to about ½-inch thick. Try and make the dough as flat and un-creased as possible.
Cut with scone/round biscuit cutter and place on greased baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones evenly with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until lightly browned. Makes about a dozen, depending on size of cutter.
The Official Kentucky Derby Mint Julep
3 to 5 mint leaves
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
2 teaspoons water
2 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon
crushed ice
Muddle (stir/gentle crush) four mint springs and sugar in the bottom of a julep glass. Add water, continuing to muddle contents to a paste. Add Woodford Reserve Bourbon. Pack the julep glass with crushed ice. Garnish with a mint spring and don’t forget the sipping straw.
If a metal julep cup is used, be sure to use a wooden muddler (bottom of a wooden spoon) instead of metal spoon to eliminate the possibility of scratching the cup’s surface.
Blueberry Hill’s Mayfair Dressing*
1 ½ cups chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 (2-ounce can) anchovies
¼ cup yellow mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups real mayonnaise
1 large clove of garlic pressed (or ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic)
black pepper and kosher salt to taste
Place celery, onion and anchovies into a food processor and pulse until pureed. Add in remaining ingredients and pulse just until blended. Refrigerate.
*Recipe adjusted for home use (original recipe made 1 ½ gallons of dressing)
