June Is National Iced Tea Month

 ICED TEA WITH CITRUS AND MINT

By Cal Orey
This recipe is California-inspired from when I was in my twenties and lived in Fresno, a farming region in the central state where orange groves are plentiful. During the hot summer afternoons I’d drink iced orange pekoe (pronounced PECK-oh)--a grade of orthodox black tea--to get energized so I could enjoy riding a ten speed bicycle accompanied by my soulmate with paws, a young and healthy black Labrador retriever Stone Fox, with dark brown soulful eyes and a smile to melt my heart. He’d run free through orange groves, we’d race until we were whooped. From my backpack, I’d treat me to cold tea in a thermos and let my dog drink water from a fountain to regroup.

2 cups water

5 tea bags, orange pekoe (Harney and  Sons--a blend of Assam and Ceylon)

Granulated white sugar or honey to taste

Lemon or orange slices

Fresh mint
            Bring fresh cold water to a boil and pour 2 cups over tea bags. Cover and brew 3 to 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and add 2 cups cold water. Stir. Pour into chilled, ice-filled tea mugs or glasses. Add sugar or honey to taste. Garnish with lemon slices and mint. Serves 4.

            Going back to basic tea beverages sometimes is like embracing tradition that gets better with time. In the next chapter, “A Historical Testimony,” I’ll show you exactly how tea continues to get praise and why it’s good enough to have a well-stocked pantry for "…the best of times…the worst of times" with respect to the words of author Charles Dickens’ “The Tale of Two Cities” and all authors, including this one, who turn to tea for inspiration and to find their Zen.

[Excerpt from THE HEALING POWERS OF TEA © 2017 Cal Orey.  All Rights Reserved.  Reprinted with permission from Kensington Publishing. www.kensingtonbooks.com]

The Healing Powers of Tea (Read another excerpt on tea and beauty plus a Q and A from the author for The Daily Tea.)