< Previous30 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 DOWN HOME AUTUMN ALTERNATIVE Islander creates perfect fall flavor – and it isn’t pumpkin spice story by SHANNON CALDWELL | photos by STUART VILLANUEVA N ovember is peak pumpkin spice season thanks to lattes and Thanksgiving pies. But islander Kahla Bankston has created a fall flavor combination as a refreshing alternative to the season’s dominant spice mix. Rosemary Earl Grey tea is a perfect pick-me-up for the cooler months, said Bankston, owner of Freckleberry Teahouse in Galveston’s downtown. Made with scratch-made rosemary syrup, Earl Grey tea and topped with a cold foam, the beverage was a limited edition offering Bankston introduced a year ago and is bringing back this fall and winter to celebrate the first anni- versary of the popular café. “My inspiration for the drink came from the garden and wanting to use a fresh herb in a house-made syrup,” Bank- ston said. “Rosemary grows so well here I thought it would be good to make a rosemary syrup to put in a tea.” COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 31 The syrup is made with brown sugar for a deep, warm sweetness and Mexican vanilla because it’s the best type of vanilla to pack a punch,” Bankston said. The woodsy notes of the rosemary pair well with Earl Grey tea for a refreshing fall drink. “People are nervous to try it, but once they do they like how subtle it is,” she said. “You can have it in hot or cold tea, and it is a really nice fall flavor profile thanks to the brown sugar and Mexican vanilla. I’m very particular about flavor, so I only use Mexican vanilla. The syrup can also be used in a latte for people who prefer coffee.” Freckleberry Teahouse is Bankston’s passion project and the result of a career spent working with coffee and tea. The La Marque native, who moved to Galveston in 2012, describes herself as shy. But at age 16, she found her calling working at Starbucks, she said. She enjoyed the customer service aspect along with making the bever- ages. Part-time work grew to full-time, then management and consultancy roles. She also was a well-known face at Sugar Bean Coffee and Cream, a shop in island neighbor- hood Evia, where she worked for a decade. Bankston saw Galveston was well served by coffee shops, so she opened Freckleberry with a focus on tea. Now a year old, Freckleberry is known for milk, fruit and boba teas as well as other beverages, and a limited selec- tion of baked goods. The light and airy café has two main rooms with a selection of tables and chairs for relaxing or working. It also has a patio complete with herb garden and chicken coop. The eggs are just for Bankston’s personal use, but the chickens are popular with patrons especially the head chicken who is named Sriracha because she’s so “spicy”. Bankston likes to tweak her drinks and food menu for the seasons, but one menu staple is the overnight oats that pairs well with the rosemary Earl Grey tea, she said. Overnight oats are good any time of the day, she said. Freckleberry makes them with oats, almond milk and chia seeds. For fall flavorings, add spiced apple or pump- kin butter, she said. “The longer you leave them in the fridge, the creamier they are,” she said. Bankston, who has red hair and freckles, used the name Freckleberry as a playful email address. When thinking of names for the café, she kept returning to it as an option. “People often ask me about the name,” she said. “Sometimes, they want to know if it is a real berry. Some people haven’t heard of freckles before, and I have to explain what they are. The best thing is when a child of 10 or 11 with freckles comes into the café and their faces just light up because of the name and seeing me. They feel they’ve found a place connected to them.” ROSEMARY EARL GREY TEA ½ cup water ½ cup brown sugar 4 sprigs fresh rosemary ¼ teaspoon Mexican vanilla 1½ tablespoons Earl Grey tea per serving 12 ounces water at 200 F For the rosemary syrup: Combine sugar and water in saucepan over a medium heat to dissolve sugar. remove from heat. Add rosemary and cover for no less than 20 minutes. Let it sit at room temperature. Strain syrup and store in your favorite reusable jar in fridge. For the tea: For a hot drink, steep for 4 minutes and then strain. For an iced drink, reduce water by half during steeping process and top with ice. In serving glass, add 1 ounce of rosemary syrup and top with tea. Freckleberry finishes the drink with its house-made cold foam. OVERNIGHT OATS 2 cups old-fashioned oats 2 cups milk of choice ½ teaspoon Mexican vanilla 1 teaspoon chia seeds Combine all ingredients in a storage container with a lid. Set container in refrigerator and allow to sit for 5 hours. (This can be done during the day — doesn’t have to be overnight.) Serve portion into dish and top with ingredients of choice. Freckleberry uses cranberries, coconut, pumpkin seeds, seasonal berries or fruit. Drizzle with honey or maple for sweetness. elevate the fall flavors with nut butters, pump- kin or apple butter and spices of your choice. Store in refrigerator for up to five days. It becomes creamier with time. (Opposite) Kahla Bankston, owner of Freckleberry Teahouse in downtown Galveston, with a bowl of overnight oats topped with dried cranberries, pecans and pumpkin seeds. Overnight oats are good any time of day, she said. (Above) Overnight oats pairs well with a rosemary Earl Grey tea.Open 7 Days A Week Zero Down / Zero Interest Financing Complementary Award Winning Decorating Service Solid Wood Furniture Free Delivery AWARD WINNING One-of-a-kind Furniture And Home Décor Store. 5 time (2018-2022) Readers Choice Award Winner Bayside Chic Matagorda 455 Fisher St. (Hwy 60) | Matagorda, TX 77457 979-863-5042 Bayside Chic Galveston 4002 Broadway | Galveston, TX 77550 409-621-9540DEC. 1-3, 2023 - DICKENSONTHESTRAND.ORG GALVESTON’S WORLD FAMOUS VICTORIAN HOLIDAY FESTIVAL celebrating fifty years with a weekend of new events and returning favorites!34 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 TASTE OF TEXAS WOK THIS WAY This mixed-meat dish made in a plow disc is popular in Texas and Mexico story and recipe by PHIL NEWTON | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS C ooking in a steel plow disc, also known as a discada or Mexican or cowboy wok, is popular in both South Texas and Northern Mexico. While similar to an Asian wok, the disc is of a heavier gauge and the sides slope with less incline. The heavy gauge of the metal allows the center to remain piping hot while the temperature gradually decreases as cooks move food up the slope of the sides. This allows ingredients to stay warm without overcooking. After an ingredient is cooked in the center of the discada , it’s dragged up in concentric circles near the edge while the next ingredient is added to the center. Each ingredient follows this pattern until all have been cooked and then everything is pushed back to the center to meld the flavors and reheat everything. Like many dishes, the ingredients vary. Bacon typically is the first ingredient because its rendered fat provides the oil for cooking everything that follows. The order of ingredients depends on the choice of meats and vegetables. For example, skirt steak and pork steak and sausage would precede uncooked vegetables that require more time. Corn tortillas often are tossed on top to heat up and soften. DISCADA NORTEÑA 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped 1 pound pork, chopped 1 pound skirt steak, chopped Mesquite-based seasoning mix 1 smoked sausage link, sliced ½ ham steak, cubed ½ white onion, chopped 1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped ½ each red, yellow, green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 Roma tomatoes, diced Fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped Limes for squeezing 1 bottle Mexican beer render bacon on medium heat. Do not crisp. Push bacon up to near the edge. Cook the coun- try-style pork next. Pull the pork up to just below the bacon. Next, add the skirt steak and seasoning (mesquite-based mix). Add the onion to the meat and cook till both are done. Push them up to just be- low the pork. Add the peppers and cook till tender. Push up and then add smoked sausage and ham steak. Once these are heated up, add tomatoes. Don’t overcook the tomatoes. Add cilantro. remove any excess oil. Pull everything back down to the center and stir. Add beer and any other desired season- ing. Let everything come up to temperature and for most of the liquid to be absorbed. Toss corn tortillas on top to warm. Once warm and soft, move them up to the edge to keep warm. Scoop filling into tortillas and squeeze in some lime juice. PHIL NEWTON is a Galveston baker/cook. He’s the owner/operator of Stiglich Corner with partner Cindy Roberts.36 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 GAME ON SLOW AND STEADY All you need is a Crockpot and the right venison for this easy dish story, recipe and photo by CAPT. NATE SKINNER I f you’re a fan of traditional pot roast meals, then you’re going to love this recipe. It’s simple and makes for an easy dinner when the chaos of life is in full force. Plus, it tastes good. I prefer axis deer meat for this dish, but a chunk of whitetail that’s cut to be cooked as a roast also works well. You’ll find that a shoulder roast needs to be cooked longer than a roast cut from the hindquarters to achieve the fall- apart level of tenderness that most folks like. No matter where your venison roast comes from, as long as you cook it at a low temperature for 10-12 hours, the outcome should be juicy and tender. Mix in a little Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, olive oil and all of your favorite seasonings and vegetables and let a Crockpot or slow cooker do the rest. The final result will be so good, you might never again want to buy a beef roast from the grocery store. SLOW-COOKED VENISON ROAST 3 pounds venison roast 1 pound mini carrots 1 pound baby gold potatoes 3 tablespoons minced garlic Olive oil Worcestershire sauce Beef broth Salt Pepper Steak seasoning Place the roast in a Crockpot or slow cooker and thoroughly season all sides of it with your favorite steak or beef season- ing or rub. Add mini carrots and potatoes to the pot. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons of minced garlic. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the vegetables, then add enough beef broth to the pot that creates about a 1- to 2-inch layer in the bottom of it. Add a few tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle in some salt and pepper to taste. Set the Crockpot to a low-heat setting and allow everything to cook for 10-12 hours. When cooking is complete, the venison roast meat should pull apart effortlessly with two forks or a pair of tongs; the vegetables should be tender. Serve and enjoy. MELISSAREKOFF BROKERASSOCIATE melissa@onyxrealtygrouptx.com mygalvestondreamhome.com 409-996-9838 ForEducators 3705AvenueR,Galveston,TX.77550 Livethecoastaldream! Yourrenovatedcraftsmanawaitsyou.38 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 DESSERT ISLAND MISSION IMPOSSIBLE This vintage pie magically forms its own crust while baking story and recipe by PHIL NEWTON | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS W hat makes Impossible Pie impos- sible? It might be that it creates its own crust in the oven or because it’s impossibly easy. Its origins also are impossibly enigmatic. According to food-history website The Food Timeline, the origins of Impossible Pie are mysterious, but the earliest record appears in the 1960s in America. This pie is similar to coconut cream, which develops a lovely, crunchy top as it bakes. It comes together quickly in a blender, poured into a pie pan without having to make a pastry crust — the crust forms as it bakes. Impossible Pie stores easily in the refrigerator and is served cold. It’s perfect for holidays and, with a little citrus juice, becomes a wonderfully light summer pie. This recipe is suitable for beginner bakers or kids just learning to bake. IMPOSSIBLE PIE 1 cup granulated sugar ½ cup butter, softened ½ cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 large eggs 2 cups milk 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened is traditional, but unsweetened can be used) Preheat oven to 350 F. Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined. Pour into a 9-inch greased pie pan. bake 1 hour or until cen- ter is firm and golden. Cool on a rack and then refrigerate until ready to serve. because it’s a custard pie, it should be kept refrigerated. PHIL NEWTON is a Galveston baker/cook. He’s the owner/operator of Stiglich Corner with partner Cindy Roberts.Our Men’s Health services include: •Primary Care •Urology •Orthopedics •Cardiology •Cancer Care •Digestive Health •Colorectal Health Men’s health starts with good relationships The University of Texas Medical Branch is in-network for most major insurance plans. Call our 24/7 Access Service team at (800) 917-8906 , visit our website at utmbhealth.com/mens-health or scan the QR code to find a doctor and schedule your next appointment. Men are at higher risk for many serious diseases, such as heart disease, orthopedic injuries and certain cancers. The good news is that most of these are preventable with healthy lifestyle choices, preventive screenings and regular health checkups. The first step in maintaining your health is establishing a relationship with a UTMB Health primary care provider, who is focused on improving your well-being at every stage of life. And, when an issue arises, your primary care provider can refer you to the proper specialty services, including Cardiology, Urology, Cancer Care and more. SCAN TO LEARN MORE UTMB Health has over 130 years of expertise caring for men of all ages. knows Men’s HealthNext >