Today I was at the post office picking up a shipment. Our local postal outlet is in a Shoppers Drug Mart and they have a great range of organic teas and coffee. As I was browsing the selection a silver tin caught my eye — tea made by a company called ineeka (little earth).

The company’s tagline is “Cultivating Consciousness” and the goal is “to be socially responsible for the subsistence of the 25, 000 people who live on the farms.” They have a strong emphasis to be environmentally responsible as well.

The tin is much like a humidor and contains 14 bags of ma-chai. The ma-chai is a whole leaf, 100% organic tea blend containing black tea leaves, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, clove, rose petals, and saffron. There were other flavors but this one really intrigued me.

What impresses me about this product, other than the fact that the tea has a wonderful aroma and taste, is the way in which it is brewed. Each bag is actually its own infuser called a “Brew Taché” which gives you the convenience of a bag with the benefits of loose leaf brewing.

The bags are flat and are slightly larger than a traditional tea bag. To use the “Brew Taché” you gently tear off the top strip of the tea bag and open the bag up into the infuser. It rests on your cup. You can see how it looks when set up in the picture to the right.

The tea itself is a superior product. Delicious. Clean up is a breeze. They are a little more expensive but well worth the extra cost.

I think that this system would be excellent for backpackers who, like me, love to have a cup of loose leaf tea on the trail. ineeka teas will definitely may it into my backpack for my next trip.

Well I finally got around to doing this today. Bryan and Tobias are devouring this as we speak… so much for saving it for a trip. Bryan says it isn’t as good as my Citrus Lentil Salad, which is his favorite, but he still likes it.

White Bean, Tuna and Mango Salad
© Laurie Ann March 2008

Dehydration Time: 5 to 7 hours
Serves 2 to 4

I used a combination of dried mango and dried green mango in this dish. Sambal oelek can be quite spicy so adjust to suit your taste. I only had white kidney beans in the pantry so that is what I used.

Salad Mixture
2 cups cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 3 oz pouch tuna
1 1/2 teaspoons jalapeno pepper, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon dried chives
1/4 teaspoon dried lemongrass
1/3 cup dried mango, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek
1 teaspoon honey
1 fresh lime

At Home
Spread the beans on a lined dehydrator tray and dry for 5 to 7 hours. Time will depend on the type of dehydrator that you have. If your unit has a temperature control, set it for 135°F. Dry the minced jalapeno pepper and grated ginger on separate trays at the same temperature as the beans.

Put the dried beans and pouch of tuna in a ziplock freezer bag. Pack the dried jalapeno, ginger, chives, lemongrass and mango in plastic wrap or a small zipper bag. Place the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sambal oelek, and honey in a leak proof container such as a small Nalgene bottle. Place the dried pepper package and the small Nalgene bottle inside the bag with the beans and seal, making sure to remove as much air as possible. Pack the lime when you are ready to go on your trip.

At Camp
Rehydrate the beans using a formula of 1 parts dried mix to 1 part water. Wait 5 or 10 minutes and then add a little more water if needed. If you accidentally use too much water, be sure to drain the beans well before adding the dressing. Add a little hot water to the contents of the bag with the pepper and mango mixture. When rehydrated, combine with the bean, tuna, and mango mixture. Shake the bottle containing the olive oil and vinegar. Add the juice of one lime to the salad as well as the contents of the bottle. Stir gently to combine. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste.

Serving Suggestions
Serve the salad in a wrap or served with tortilla chips, if desired.

As many of you know I post frequently on my own forum at www.OutdoorAdventureCanada.com and I post on a few others related to backpacking. I especially like talking about trail food with other people who like to cook. Today I did something different. I made a challenge to everyone. It is a little cooking exercise where you have to use two randomly chosen ingredients in creating a recipe. I figured I would post it here as well — just in case anyone here wants to join in.

My friend helped me draw the two random ingredients. They are mangoes and cannellini or white beans.

So here are the details of the challenge…

You must create a recipe suitable for the trail or a paddling trip using both of the ingredients in the same meal. They don’t have to be the prominent ingredients in the dish though.

The rules…

1) Must be backcountry worthy (no coolers)
2) Ingredients must be fairly easy to obtain
3) Send the recipe/instructions to laurie@wildernesscooking.com**
4) The recipe must be your own creation
5) Have fun!

There are no time limits but in the winter I will be posting another one of these cooking challenges.

**Note: By participating you also agree to let me post your recipe on the wilderness cooking website to share with the other participants. The recipe will be credited to you of course.