I thought I was going to be sharing a broccoli recipe with you today, but if you’re in the area, you’re with me when I say hello sunshine! So I changed my mind and went with something a little more refreshing.
I’ve been playing around with the herbs currently growing in my garden. The perennial chocolate mint and lemon balm seem to have exploded onto the scene overnight. If I don’t keep them in check, they’ll soon take over; this I am sure. So herbal concoctions have been keeping our thirst quenched in a major way.
Herbal Tea
Much of the end of April brought quiet backyard fires going into the evenings, friends over for dinner, and bike rides. Now the mountains are calling us, and we’re headed up for a little hiking this weekend, so I’m keeping this post short. Happy weekend friends! If the sun isn’t around where you are, keep this one tucked away for later when it warms up.
Herbal Tea
Minty Lemon Balm & Ginger Herbal Tea / makes 4 cups
I used chocolate mint, but I think other types of mint would work just as well. If you’re vegan, you can replace the honey with cane sugar if you’d like, just make sure to add it while the water is still pretty hot so it has time to dissolve.
4 cups water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
4 tablespoons chopped fresh lemon balm
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1-2 tablespoon raw honey
Bring the water to a boil, then remove from heat and let sit a minute.
Meanwhile, place the mint, lemon balm, and ginger in a large strainer over a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, making sure the leaves will be fully submerged once the water is poured in. Alternatively, you can wrap the herbs and ginger up in several pieces of cheesecloth, tie a knot at the top.
Pour the hot water over the leaves and let sit for about 15-20 minutes. Lift out the strainer, add honey to taste, then place in the fridge until cold. Serve cold, over ice and garnish with mint and/or lemon balm sprigs.