Butternut Squash, Kale, and Pomegranate

Butternut squash, kale and pomegranates are foods of the season. This year I am making the effort to enjoy them more frequently.

My grocery store has tubs of chunked butternut squash that makes it very easy to cook just the amount I want. I buy the largest they have and freeze what I am not cooking immediately. Butternut squash cooked in broth - mashed when it is tender - makes a great base for a hearty soup. Adding some dried onion, pepper, basic and bacon bits is delicious. One time I added a few spoonfuls of cranberry orange relish and dried parsley just before pouring it into the soup bowl; the tartness of the cranberries and orange contrasted with the squash (and the red flecks of cranberry made the orange soup even more colorful. Another cooking method is to coat the chunks with olive oil and cinnamon then bake in the over. Since the chunks are relatively small - it takes less time than a potato or whole squash.

Kale is a new vegetable for me. It is a hardy plant that thrives as the temperatures get cooler. This is my first year to experiment with kale chips. They are tasty and easy to make; simply cut up the leaves (discard the tough central stem), coat/spray with oil, season, cook for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees. I’m still experimenting with ways to avoid getting them too oily (spraying is probably better than putting the leaves in a gallon Ziploc with the oil and seasoning)….and trying different seasonings.

And finally -- the pomegranate. I simply cut the fruit in quarters and enjoy every red-jewel seed. They are a food that is beautiful and tastes good too - a worthy fruit to enjoy fresh and celebrate the bounty of the season!

Gleanings of the Week Ending November 17, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article:

Fresh Cranberry-Orange Relish - Something a bit different to do with cranberries this year. I already blogged about it earlier this week….great recipe

What we die of - data is from the UK…interesting data and way of presenting it

Preschoolers' Counting Abilities Relate to Future Math Performance - counting….not just rote memorization of numbers

Do we only use 10% of our brains? - a medical myth

Face-Washing Tips for Healthier-Looking Skin - from a dermatologist. Sometimes we do too much.

The Bifurcation of Bling - spending shift from ostentatious product to ones less visible to the world as individual/people get richer

Earlier End of Life Care Discussions Are Linked to Less Aggressive Care in Final Days of Life, Study Shows  

In Australia, A Total Solar Eclipse - video from 11/13

Second Most Common Infection in the U.S. Proving Harder to Treat With Current Antibiotics - Urinary tract infections from resistant bacteria increased over 30% between 1999 and 2010….high levels of antibiotic overuse in the southeastern part of the US during the same time period.

Answers to the Fall 2012 eBird/Swarovski Photo Quiz - you can take the quiz or just look at the pictures and read the notes about the clues to identify the bird

Connecting Recipies

It is the time of year to try out some of the luscious recipes that seem to be everywhere you look. This past weekend I started out making Fresh Cranberry-Orange Relish. It tasted even better than I anticipated but it made a very large amount. I decided to use it for part of the fruits in a modified Golden Stollen recipe and also added it to give more spunk to the soup I was making for lunch. And then I made half a pumpkin custard in a grab-it to use up the half can of pumpkin not needed in stollen. So - it was quite a day for cooking experiments...and all a domino effect started by the relish!

As usual - I was not a stickler for following either the ingredients or the directions in the recipes.

For the Cranberry-Orange Relish, I used 2 oranges rather than 1. I cut the ends of the oranges off before I cut them into eights. My food processor was big enough to hold everything so I put all the ingredients in it at the same time and processed until everything was more finely chopped than shown in the picture on the Wegman’s web page. So far I have eaten it by itself (what a treat it was using a spatula to clean up and enjoying ever last bit of the relish left in the bowl!), stirred into soup, and in the golden stollen. And there was still enough to put in the freezer too.

The Golden Stollen was in my last Gleanings and I had commented about attempting to modify it to be gluten free. As a first experiment, I replaced the 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour with teff flour. I used olive oil instead of butter and honey instead of sugar. I decided not to add nuts since the teff flour already has a nutty flavor. Instead I added 1/3 cup of the cranberry-orange relish. For the cup of dried fruit, I cut up dried prunes and apricots along with crystallized ginger. Raisins were used to fill up the cup. It ended up being slightly skewed toward the crystallized ginger. I simple stirred the dough thoroughly then mounded it onto a cast our griddle (picture on the left above). It cracked a bit as it cooked. I brushed butter on it when it came out of the oven but did not add the powdered sugar (picture on right above...after I had cut several sample pieces from one end). I told my husband it was a new pumpkin bread recipe and he tried it - and liked it….a first for my attempts to entice him to enjoy gluten free breads.

Of course - we both enjoyed sharing the small pumpkin custard for our dessert that evening.

Find some great foods of the season to be part of your celebration of the season!

Recipe of the Week: Chili

Cooling outdoor temperatures prompt thoughts of foods that are warming. Chili is one of my favorites. There are many good chili seasoning kits on the market; the Wick Fowler’s 2 Alarm is my favorite. Of course - I make my own modifications:

• Add 1 can of pinto beans or the equivalent of home cooked pinto beans
• Only half the salt packet
• Entire red pepper packet
• No Masa flour 

I like to serve chili over multi-grain rice or egg noodles rather than with crackers. My husband eats his in carb balance tortillas - again without crackers.

Chili also can be dipped with wedges of pepper or celery.

And what about toppings: cheese or chives or diced tomato/onion (salsa!) or guacamole.

Chili is a hearty meal in a bowl (or tortilla) that warms a cool or cold day!

Gleanings of the Week Ending October 6, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article:

Sunrise time lapse at Havre de Grace

Earthworm invasion: Aliens causing more harm than good? - Did you know that there are different kinds of earthworms….and they influence what kinds of plant grow?

America’s Greenest Presidents - Teddy Roosevelt tops the list….but Richard Nixon is second!

Celebrating the Remarkable Mark Catesby - the man that published the first scientific description of the New World’s plants and animals….his first trip to America was in 1712. Several of his illustrated books are available online via Botanicus

6 Futuristic Sci-Fi Gadgets That Actually Exist - hurray for self-driving cars!

15 Ways to Enjoy the National Park System This Fall

2012 time lapse of Aurora Borealis from Denali (video)

100 Million to Die by 2030 If World Fails to Act on Climate - and more than 90% of those deaths will occur in developing countries

Nantucket Cranberry Cake - I’m going to make this rather than cranberry sauce this year!

Is it green to be green? - infographic comparing costs of ‘green’ vs ‘non-green’ choices over a life time

Recipe of the Week: Baked Apples

Apples are in season again…..and there are so many ways to enjoy them. One of my favorite and simplest recipes is for baked apples:

Cut apple into chunks and place in a microwavable dish. (The apple - at the left - I chose for my treat was a Ginger Gold.)

Microwave for 1 minute.

Sprinkle with cinnamon. Add some butter. Decide if the apples need extra sweetening; if so drizzle with molasses or honey. (I used cinnamon, ginger, butter and honey on mine - at the right.)

Microwave for 1 minute.

Stir the apples. They may already be soft enough to eat. I tend to want my baked apples to be hot and just beginning to soften - not turned to mush.

This works very well for one serving. If you are making baked apples for a crowd - use a conventional oven, a larger baking dish, put all the ingredients in the pan at the beginning. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the softness you prefer.

Some other apple recipes I’ve posted are:

Sautéed apples as a pancake topping

Apple Crisp

Recipe of the Week: French Toast Bread Pudding

Want the smell and taste of French toast but need it for a crowd? Try this baked version.

For each serving: 

• 2 slices of bread
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Cinnamon and other spices to taste 

Spray the baking dish with cooking spray. The dish must be large enough to not boil over if the liquid bubbles while cooking; place it on a large cookie sheet if there is any doubt. Cut the bread into pieces. Whisk the other ingredients then pour the mixture over the bread. This can all be done the night before and the whole thing put in the refrigerator overnight. Put in the oven then turn it on to 350. Cook for about an hour. Serve hot drizzled with maple syrup.

Some modifications to try: 

• Use flavored coffee creamer in place of milk (skip the sugar, vanilla and spices).
• Substitute 1 tablespoon chia seeds for 1 of the eggs.
• Use sweetened almond milk to replace the milk and sugar.
• Use molasses or honey to replace the sugar.
• Make individual servings and let people add their own spices, dried fruit, or sugar. Note - as pictured above made in a Corningware grabit (I used molasses for half the sugar, added raisins and orange peel, replaced one of the eggs with chia seeds….yummy). 

Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Adventure - Sweet Potato Bread

This recipe takes time…but the results are luscious. I’ll make a larger batch next time. The combination of the sweet potato, buckwheat, and drizzle of molasses makes it good by itself or as an accompaniment to a special meal. I enjoy toasting slices of it for open faced sandwiches with deli smoked turkey or ham for lunch….or slathering it with butter for mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.

In a food processor with the dough blade - combine: 

• 1/2 cup whole wheat sourdough starter
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour 

Mix thoroughly. Let sit 2-4 hours (or more) to mature. 

• 1 medium sweet potato, cooked in the microwave until soft, peeled
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or half whole wheat/half buckwheat)
• Drizzle of molasses 

Add all ingredients to the sourdough starter already in the food processor. Process until all ingredients are well mixed and the dough is smooth. It should begin to pull away from the sides of the processor (if not add a little more flour). Spray ovenproof pan or baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the dough evenly and let rise for 2-4 hours until double in bulk. I like to use my oven with just the oven light on (otherwise no heat); it’s out of the way and there are no drafts.

Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes or until the top begins to brown. Remove from oven. Brush with olive oil (optional).

Gleanings of the Week Ending September 15, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article:

Decoding the Black Death: Anthropologist Finds Clues in Medieval Skeletons - how ‘health at death’ can be determined from skeletons…the impact of disease (like the Black Death) on populations (health of survivors, genetic diversity)

Hadley Crater Provides Deep Insight into Martian Geology - craters within Hadley….there is still a lot to learn about Mars

Fungi Need Some Love, Too - Why? They are nature’s recyclers, food, and source of drugs such as antibiotics. We need them.

CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER “TRUFFLES” - these sound decadant but 'healthy' too - put on the list for upcoming holidays if you don’t make them this week!

15 Things I Never Knew About Health & Fitness - from Marlo Thomas

7-Point Action Plan for Repowering U.S. - If the US wants to remain a leader rather than become a follower in the world - we are going to have to start down this path to ‘energy independence’ rather than reverting to the strategy of the 20th century (i.e. heavy dependence on oil and coal)

Pumpkin donuts - these are baked….and sound yummy. I’m going to make them in mini-Bundt pans

Good Food on a Tight Budget - The guide includes a food list (by food group), tips, recipes…and more.

British Health Open for Research - Giving researchers access to the health records of 52 million people in England could prove invaluable for studying disease. Finally - some truly large scale analysis will be done. How many drugs and procedures that are widely utilized now will withstand the analysis?

Eyes: a Window to Diagnosis - A possible quick and easy screening for Parkinson’s, ADHD and FASD…maybe other neurological functional differences.

Recipe of the Week: Eggy Salad Dressing

Eggy Salad Dressing is an alternative to chopping up hard boiled eggs for a salad. It appeals to be because it spreads the egg all through the salad. I enjoyed this ‘meal in a bowl.’

Hard boil two eggs. Let them cool. Remove off the shells. Place in a small food processor with a little olive oil, vinegar and seasoning. As you can see from the picture on the left, I used raspberry vinegar and basil/garlic seasoning. Alternatively, any vinegar and oil dressing you have on hand could be used. Process until smooth; it will have a smooth, icing-like consistency. Use as a salad dressing. The salad picture on left has frozen peas and corn (thawed) and celery. I added a little salt.

Eggy salad dressing also makes an excellent dip or spread for cucumber slices. Try a basil leaf on top for a burst of flavor from the garden!

Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Adventure: Buckwheat Pancakes

My first ‘sourdough adventure’ post was about pancakes. It’s a very dependable recipe. Now I’m modifying it to experiment with other grains. The buckwheat experiment was a wonderful success! The change is to feed the starter with buckwheat flour instead of whole wheat flour starter at least 4 hours before making the pancakes! The organisms seem to like the buckwheat as well as the wheat and the pancakes some out with a wonderful airy texture. They are half wheat/half buckwheat which provides a wider variety of nutrients and reduces the amount of gluten.

Note: We eat pancakes as part of a ‘breakfast at dinner’ because we tend to eat together for dinner more than we do for breakfast. They do require cooking but they are a quick addition to any meal - any time.

My basic recipe is -

1 1/2 cups mature sourdough starter (i.e. feed whole wheat starter with buckwheat flour in the container you will make the batter in, cover, leave at room temperature 4-8 hours)

1 egg

2 tablespoons sweetener (sugar or honey…something sweet)

4 tablespoons olive oil

Dash salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon (or other seasonigs)

~~~~~

1 teaspoon soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon of warm water 

In a large bowl or measuring cup with a spout (to make it easy to pour out the batter), mix sugar, egg, salt, cinnamon (or other seasonings) and olive oil with the sourdough starter. Add warm water to get the right consistency for pancake batter. Set aside.

In a small bowl, dilute 1 teaspoon baking soda in 1 tablespoon of warm water. 

When ready to cook the sourdough pancakes, fold the baking soda/water mixture gently into the prepared pancake batter (do not beat). This will cause a gentle foaming and rising action in the batter. Let the mixture bubble and foam for a minute or so to give the acid (in the starter) and the base (soda) time to react; this makes the air bubbles that produce pancakes with air bubbles rather than densely packed flour.

Cook on a hot griddle or use an electric skillet as other types of pancakes.

Enjoy with your favorite topping!

Gleanings of the Week Ending September 1, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article:

Living Against the Clock; Does Loss of Daily Rhythms Cause Obesity? - disruption of circadian rhythms considered along with diet and exercise

Dr. Gary Greenberg - The Extraordinary Nature of Ordinary Things - TED talk looking a microscopic views of things

A Pachyderm's Ditty Prompts an Elephantine Debate - Why do we have music? Is it an evolutionary accident?

Snakes, And the Snake Wranglers Who Love Them - With more drilling for natural gas…there are more places that need to be cleared of snakes (without killing all the snakes)

RAW CHOCOLATE MOUSSE - avocado replaces butter, cream, and eggs…it sounds yummy

Google’s Self-Driving Cars Hit 300,000 Miles - how soon will these be commercially available at a reasonable price…and all over the country?

littleBits - open source, preassembled electronic modules that snap together with magnets to make larger, more complex circuits….play and create with electronics

Avocado Recipes - a collection of things to do with avocados

Top 25 Wild Bird Photographs by Art Wolfe ©

What Will Change Most About Our Routine Physicals Over the Next Decade? - a perspective from 3 doctors

Recipe of the Week: Pumpkin Granola

The scent of pumpkin pie wafting through the house is probably one of the most enticing aromas of fall. That’s what gave me the impetus to try this pumpkin granola….and I wanted something that would travel well for our fall outings. Size the recipe for the amount of pumpkin you have; the 15 ounce can I had was 1 1/2 cups of puree.  

The goo: 

• 1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 

10 cups old fashioned oatmeal

2 cups whole almonds

2 cups raisins (or dried cranberries)

~~~~~

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Farenheit.

Combine the ‘goo’ ingredients in a large measuring cup.

Combine the oats and almonds in a very large bowl.

Pour the ‘goo’ on to the oats and almonds. Mix thoroughly. I find it easiest to just use my hands.

Put in one very large pan or two smaller ones. You will need to stir the pans to don’t fill them too full.

Cook for 15 minutes and then stir. Then repeat until it has cooked for about an hour and a half. Add the raisins for the last 30 minutes of cooking time.

Let cool.

Store in closed containers. Freeze any that your household will not eat within a few weeks….or give it as a gift to celebrate the coming of fall.

Recipe of the Week: Apple Crisp

This is a great fall recipe but I got it out early this year because I had a bag of Granny Smith apples that were not as tasty as usual for eating fresh. Maybe they were last year’s apples and storage had taken some of their usual flavor; apple crisp is more forgiving because of the added sugar and spices. It sometimes takes some extra effort to utilize food effectively...getting as much value as possible from every $1 spent for groceries.  I turned it into a celebration by making a favorite fall recipe!

• 4 cups apples, diced (peel if you must, I like the texture the skin provides...and it has nutritional value too)
• Cinnamon for sprinkling (optional)
• Lemon juice (optional)
• Molasses (optional)

 Topping: 

• 1/3 cup soft butter
• 2/3 cup apple juice concentrate
• 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. nutmeg
• Molasses (for drizzling on top)

~~~~~

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place apples in pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cinnamon and lemon juice if desired. Drizzle with molasses.

Blend remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

Spread over apples. Drizzle with molasses.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.

Apple crisp is good warm or cold….I always have a first serving as soon as it comes from the oven.

Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Adventure: Focaccia

I like the ease of no-knead breads. I saw a recipe on the King Arthur Flour site for focaccia and decided to convert it to use sourdough instead of instant yeast. I also experimented with replacing half the wheat flour with quinoa flour. And the result was a recipe I’ll be making again and again - trying a different seasoning every time!

~~~~~ 

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup mature whole wheat sourdough starter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil + additional for drizzling
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cup quinoa flour
• 4 teaspoons seasoning of choice (I used Penzeys Forward! Spice) + additional for sprinkling on top

 Spray 9”x13” pan with cooking spray.

Mix water and sourdough starter with an electric mixer (do this step for the same reason to mix the water with the sourdough starter as the first step when feeding the starter - to get the micro-organisms evenly distributed so they will be throughout the resulting batter after the flour is added).

Add all the other ingredients and mix with the mixer for a couple of minutes.

Scoop the sticky dough into the prepared pan and let rise until it doubles in height. It took 4 hours in my oven with the oven light on. I set a pan of water in the oven to make sure the air stayed moist.

When the dough has risen enough - gently poke the dough all over with you index finger. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning. Brush gently to evenly distribute.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 35-40 minutes.

Remove bread from oven, wait 5 minutes, then remove from pan onto a rack. My favorite pan is Pyrex that has a lid so I simply leave it in the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe of the Week: Brisket

Brisket is something to enjoy for several meals or to feed a crowd. I always buy a cut that just fits in my crock pot and cook it for the whole day. Start in the morning to cook: 

• Line the crockpot with a slow cooker liner
• Place the brisket in the slow cooker.
• Sprinkle with cracked pepper and onion flakes.
• Cook on high for an hour or two and then on low for the rest of the day.
• Serve with salad/vegetables. My favorites are baked sweet potatoes and Caesar salad. 

For any leftover meat - cut off fat and discard. Cut meat into bite size piece. Strain juice over meat. Store in refrigerator. 

There are many ways to enjoy the left overs. For all of them, remove any white fat that has accumulated on top of the juice and discard. My two favorite meals with leftover brisket are: 

• Reheat and eat as straight from the crockpot.
• Make barbeque. Put meat and juice in a sauce pan. Add bottled barbeque sauce and enough water to cook down in about 30 minutes (this gives the barbeque sauce spices enough time to penetrate the meat). Eat on a bun, over noodles/quinoa, or alone. Note: Bottled barbeque sauce sometimes has a lot of sugar. I tend to choose the ones that have the lowest carbohydrate amount (i.e. less sugar). 

If you cannot eat all the brisket within about a week after you cook it, freeze and save it for later. 

Recipe of the Week: Smoothies

Summer is a great time for ice cold smoothies. All they take is a blender that is strong enough to process ice and some creativity with things you probably already have in your refrigerator. The basics are easy: 

• Choose your ice. It can be water ice or a frozen form of one of the ingredients. Frozen bananas are my favorite for fruit smoothies. Frozen cherry tomatoes work well for veggie smoothies.
• Choose your other ‘solid’ ingredients. Most blenders have a ‘fill’ line for non-liquids and it can get messy if you fill beyond that point. Seasonal fruits and veggies are all good choices.
• Choose your ‘liquid’ to enable smooth blending. I almost always use a bit of lemon juice then add water or tea or juice. Again - do not overfill the blender.
• Blend the ingredients first using pulses until the icy part is beginning to break up. Then run the blender on medium and then high. The smoothie should be thoroughly mixed, smooth, and frothy.  
• Enjoy your smoothie. 

Remember serving size and avoid adding ingredients that will add a lot of calories. For this reason - I rarely use fruit juice for the liquid to get to the fill line in my smoothies.

My favorite fruit smoothie right now is a frozen banana, blueberries, a splash of lemon with water. I may add some fresh mint to my next one.

The pictures show my favorite veggie smoothie: frozen tomatoes, green onion, a splash of lemon juice, 4 drops of hot sauce, garlic and herb Mrs. Dash and water. This veggie smoothie is essentially a lunch salad in a glass! Next time I’ll try to remember to add a couple of fresh basil leaves.

Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Adventure: Cornbread Muffins

Continuing the sourdough adventure - cornbread is one of my favorite muffins to have at lunch or dinner although it is a great leftover for breakfast as well. This recipe makes about 24 muffins. 

1 1/2 cups mature whole wheat sourdough starter

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 cup milk

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Assemble all ingredients and utensils. Allow all ingredients to come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine starter, cornmeal and milk.

Beat eggs with sugar. Add to batter and stir. Note: Add warm water if the batter is too thick. Starters vary significantly in thickness.

Combine salt and baking soda into the butter. Fold into the batter.

Fill each tin 2/3 full.

Bake until golden brown on top. Serve hot.

The original sourdough adventure post (click on the green text to go to the post) includes a link to how to initiate your own sourdough starter. That original post also includes a recipe for sourdough pancakes and it is still the recipe I am using the most - almost every week.

Recipe of the Week: Pancake Toppings

Pancakes are a quick meal - and not just for breakfast. My husband and I enjoy them as a ‘Breakfast for Dinner’ at least once a week.

I try a different topping for my pancakes almost every week. Here are 5 favorites: 

• Butter and maple syrup - This is the traditional topping in our household.
• Sour cream (or plain yogurt) and orange marmalade - A dollop of each. I dip the pancake in each on its way to my mouth.
• Sautéed apple and raisins in butter. Cut up the apple and start cooking it and the raisins before you start the pancakes. For an extra kick soak the raisins in apricot flavored brandy beforehand. Everything cooks quite rapidly. Sprinkling cinnamon in the pancake batter and the cooking apple adds to the flavor (and the kitchen smells wonderful too).
• Warmed applesauce and molasses for a stronger flavor.
• Strawberry chunks with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Or try whatever fruit is in season with the powdered sugar.
• Banana pureed with honey in the food processor (add a little water or sweet almond oil to create the consistency you want for the topping). 

Just writing this has made me hungry for pancakes!

Recipe of the Week: Iced Tea

Summertime and iced tea - they go together. There are many ways to make iced tea. Sun tea is as simple as putting teabags in a jar of water and letting it sit in the sun. My preferred method is using a tea maker (a coffee maker that has always been used exclusively for tea).

To make plain tea: put two small tea bags or one family sized bag in the brew basket for 10-12 cups of tea. As soon as it is brewed, turn off the tea maker and let the tea cool before pouring it over ice.

I very rarely make plain tea. There are just too many things from my garden to add. The last few days I’ve cut up (with scissors) three large stevia leaves and a handful of citrusy mint to add to the brew basket with one small tea bag. Put the tea bag on top because the acid from the tea helps leech the good flavor/sweetness from the stevia and mint. After it is cool - the tea is just the right strength and sweetness to simply pour over ice and enjoy.

Some other things I am going to try from the garden: 

• Lemon balm. I have a huge amount of it and it seems to lose its flavor when it is dried so I might as well use as much as possible while it can be cut and used fresh.
• Rosemary. I’ve read about putting a spring of rosemary in lemonade. It would probably be a good additive to tea as well. My rosemary is growing well and probably would branch out more if I trimmed it a bit.
• Chocolate mint. I have two flower beds with chocolate mint…and it seems to grow about as fast as I can use it. 

Enjoy iced tea!