For the past few weeks our weather here in western New England has been unseasonably hot and humid with temperatures often reaching into the 90s. During this heat wave I invited two good friends, who work with me testing recipes and prepping for cooking classes, to come for an afternoon visit. Since we were following our state’s guidelines and planning an outdoor get-together, the weather was a problem. I carefully moved our new Adirondack chairs to the shadiest part of our lawn, and decided to make a pitcher of julep iced tea to counter the warmth,

This tea, prepared with a generous amount of fresh mint leaves that are steeped with julienned lemon rind and mild tea (English or Irish Breakfast varieties, for example) is sweetened with sugar and scented with lemon juice. The recipe, created by Lynn Wilkins, a talented cook from Oxford, Continue reading →