Bottling Sunshine

One of the many things we love about summer is the abundant sunshine giving us that natural vitamin D and feel good vibes. So we thought what better way to enjoy the sunshine than to use it in a recipe this week - sound crazy? Though you can't actually consume sunshine (imagine!) you can use it for brewing tea without turning on your stove burners, a definite plus on a hot summer day. Sun tea is a simple and fun favorite of ours but we obviously had to give it a special twist in our recipe this week.

Fresh lemongrass from our garden added an extra pop of flavor and excitement to this simple recipe. The lemongrass plant turned out to be surprisingly hearty and grow well in our Chicago summer climate. From our abundant crop we used a few stalks in this sun tea with great results. Lemongrass, as the name suggests, has a lemon flavor though is slightly spicier than the lemon citrus fruit. Lemongrass is considered a tropical herb and used commonly in Asian cuisine. In addition to culinary uses, lemongrass leaves and oil are used medicinally for a variety of ailments including digestive issues, pain (headache, abdominal and muscle pain), and fever/colds. It is believed that lemongrass may prevent the growth of certain bacteria and yeast and contain substances that help to relieve pain contributing to its medicinal benefits. We most enjoy lemongrass as a unique citrus/spicy flavor option in recipes and for its decorative uses - both qualities highlighted by this recipe!

Minty Green and Lemongrass Sun Tea with Ginger
Prep Time: 3 minutes + 8-12 hours brewing time
Total Time: 8-12 hours
Servings: 4 

Ingredients
4 mint green tea bags or 4 Tbsp loose mint green tea
4 cups room temperature water 
4 stalks fresh lemongrass (base of the stalks crushed)
4 ginger ice cubes or 4 oz fresh ginger juice (recipe here)
Juice of 1 large or 2 small lemons
Abundant sunshine

In a large glass pitcher place tea bags, crushed lemongrass stalks, and cover with 4 cups room temperature water. Place a clean towel or cheese cloth over the top of the jar and allow the tea to steep in a sunny window for at least 8-12 hours. Remove the tea bags and lemongrass stalks from the jar after brewing. Pour tea over ice and add one ginger ice cube, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a lemongrass stir stick! 

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That's it friends, super simple but so refreshing. And fun to imagine that you're actually bottling that gorgeous sunshine - hey we can dream right? Sun tea is easily adaptable to any tea and fresh ingredients you have on hand as long as you have a sunny spot for brewing! This batch tastes bright and slightly tart from the green tea and ginger which are balanced perfectly by the fresh and spicy lemongrass.

Enjoy it,
Jess and Cecelia