Happy Memorial Day!

It’s Memorial Day here in the U.S.A.  The unofficial start of summer. I seriously can’t believe it’s here. Whoa!

Looking for a refreshing beverage to serve at festivities later? Try my cardamom and rose-laced iced tea (recipe below). There’s still time to throw the flavor-infused ice cubes in the freezer.

Looking for a thought-provoking read by an emerging Persian author? Check out Jasmin Darznik’s recent piece in the New York Times:

Home is Where They Let You Live

I read her book “The Good Daughter” last year, and we’re going to give away a copy of it here very soon. Look for that giveaway in an upcoming post. Just know this…I could barely put the book down.

On a lighter note, you might not be able to put this tea down, either. Yes, this is a re-publish of an old recipe (one Saveur magazine really liked).

Persian Iced Tea

Made with rose water ice cubes, cardamom-spiked simple syrup or agave nectar, and quick brew black tea, this Persian inspired iced tea has an exotic flare and refreshing taste:

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces rose water
• Black tea (I used 2 PG Tipps bags, a strong brew that’s brewed hot. You can use a cold brew tea as well)
• 6 cups of filtered water, plus more for ice cubes
• 2 Tablespoons agave nectar (or simple syrup, or use honey)
• 2 teaspoons powdered cardamom (or 4-6 pods of green cardamom)
• Fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Make the rose water ice cubes. Pour 6 ounces of rosewater into an ice tray and top off with more filtered water to make perfect cubes. Pop into freezer overnight, or until frozen solid.

2.  Brew the tea according to package instructions. For example, with my PG Tipps brand tea, all I needed was 2 teabags to 6 cups of boiling water. (PG Tipps is a strong brew!)  I immersed the teabags for no more than 30 seconds, and the tea was the perfect dark amber hue. Your mileage will vary, depending on the brand of tea you use, and if you use a cold or a hot brew tea. (With a cold brew tea, you don’t have to boil water. You just dump the bags into the cold water and allow them to infuse. Love that!)  So in short, carefully follow the package instructions that will yield 6 cups of tea total.

3.  Make the agave-cardamom syrup by warming agave over low heat. Or, if you don’t have agave, follow these directions for a classic simple syrup that we can then infuse with cardamom.

4. Add the cardamom powder or pods to the syrup, and stir well to allow its flavor to infuse. Remember, LOW heat here is your friend. It only takes a few seconds for the infusion to happen, so taste test the syrup, make sure you can taste the cardamom, and then remove it from the heat immediately.

5. Add the syrup, a little at a time,  to the brewed tea, and stir generously.  (Taste as you go here–everyone likes their tea sweetened a little differently, or not at all. For that matter, you could put the syrup on the side and let everyone use the amount they want in their individual tea glasses).

6. To serve, pour tea over rosewater ice cubes that you’ve placed into a tall glass. As the rose water cubes melt, their flavor will infuse into the tea. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired.

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