I almost gave up on my mint tea search and threw out the quickly browning herb, until I came across this lovely blog post (I, too, have killed my window basil) while searching for pickled cherry recipes. My mint seemed like a good 1 for 1 with their basil, so I went for it, with mild changes.
After picking leaves off the stems, and tossing questionable looking ones, I had about a cup of mint, packed. I poured 4 cups of boiling water over the leaves and let it steep until the water cooled to room temperature. Then I strained the tea through a mesh strainer, added 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the liquid, and stirred until the syrup dissolved. This I put into a liter jar and set in the fridge to cool.
Poured over ice, this mint tea is lightly sweet, lightly tart, and so so good. Making it fills your apartment with an incredible rich herbal aroma that lingers in the humid air, reminding you why summer can be good sometimes.
Speaking of uplifting smells in adverse weather, I made a spice blend the winter before the pandemic hit NY that can’t technically be called chai, but is chai adjacent. I would add a teaspoon or two to steamed oatmilk on cold evenings when I didn’t want caffeine, or when I wanted more than milk to dip these cookies (made vegan with flax seed) into. I would also add it to oatmeal, quick breads, pies, and jams I was making when I wanted something a little fuller than cinnamon or pie spice.
Making it with dried spices was a cheat, as I’m sure you should use freshly ground spices, but it’s what I had. I can’t remember the exact ratio, but I believe it was 3 tablespoons ginger, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon each of cloves, nutmeg, and cardamon, plus half a tablespoon of black pepper. This I store in a jar and shake up whenever I want to use it. If placing in warm milk, I’ll run the milk through a mesh strainer so that the spice doesn’t end up clumping in the bottom of my cup.
Beyond that, I’m toying with the idea of mixing juice from one of the limes with my rhubarb syrup and some sparkling water. I think a one-to-one ratio plus a cup of water, assuming it tastes OK. Maybe add in juice from the half lemon languishing in the back of the fridge. Maybe mix the rhubarb syrup one-to-one with apple cider vinegar and add some sparkling water to it for a pseudo shrub. Maybe.
Rhubarb Season 