Summertime Basic

Nothing says summer or quenches one's thirst like a tall, refreshing, cold glass of ice tea or lemonade (except maybe a frothy, cold beer or a frozen margarita). But not considering alcoholic beverages, it is usually either ice tea or lemonade that evoke hot, lazy summer days and satisfy a parched palate.



Although I didn't have lemons on hand, I did have the basic ingredients in my pantry to make a pitcher of tea. My version of tea has an asian twist. Instead of good ole' Lipton tea, I used loose leaf jasmine which has a wonderful fragrance and sweet taste. Any tea can be substituted though.

Ingredients:
1. loose leaf jasmine tea
2. honey
3. 1 lemon, sliced and wedged
4. mint sprigs

Heat 2 quarts of water in a 2.5 quart pot until the water comes to a rolling boil. Place 6 tablespoons of loose tea into a bowl. Pour water over tea. Let steep for several minutes. Steeping time will vary depending on how strong you like your tea. Strain tea from bowl into a heat resistant pitcher. Add in honey to taste. Slice lemon and place in tea. Let stand for an hour at room temperature. Remove lemon. Refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice with wedge of lemon and mint garnish.

Variation:
Try substituting black tea instead of jasmine and a slice of ginger instead of mint. Let the ginger steep a bit with the tea. I haven't tried this cold, but sometimes add ginger when drinking hot tea.

Yipeeee, National Tea Month!!