Cooking with Ease: Lime Tea

(ROCKWALL, TX – Aug. 8, 2019) A couple of weeks ago, Evan and I stopped at a farmers markets to pick up some fresh produce and on our way out, I picked up a free magazine called “Edible.” I had seen the magazine around Dallas but never stopped to pick one up. Now, you know I love signs and winks and little nudges that wiggle into daily life reminding us that we are more than flesh and bones walking this earth. As I flipped through, one of the recipes caught my eye. It was a peach cobbler recipe called “Maud Shepherd’s Cuppa, Cuppa, Cuppa Cobbler”. As I read the ingredients, I realized it was the same peach cobbler recipe that I shared in my very first Cooking with Ease column almost a year ago. The same recipe my mom made when I was growing up and the same recipe my late mother-n-law Nancy shared in her original Cooking with Ease column in the late 90’s.

Well, of course I read the whole magazine. Cover to cover. I had to! There was the nudge and the wink and the sign! I couldn’t miss whatever was in this thing. I’m so glad I did. Not only did it give me the recipe I’m sharing with you today, a perfectly refreshing lime iced tea recipe, but it also opened my eyes to a whole community of folks that share a ton of my same interests. “Edible Communities celebrates local food, season by season, community by community.” There is an Edible Boston, Edible San Francisco, Edible Austin and of course the one I picked up, Edible Dallas & Fort Worth. The pages are full of stories of local farmers and chefs. Recipes from home cooks and professionals alike, sharing ingredient lists calling for items you can find at your nearest farmers market during this specific time of year. It is everything you need to know about the world of local food.

From there, I went to their website, liked them on Facebook, followed them on Twitter. I even signed up for their monthly virtual Cookbook Club. I am all in. And to think, I didn’t know this magazine was what it was. Like I said, I had passed it several times and never picked it up. There are so many times we get so wrapped up in what we are doing that we miss out on the opportunity to support others in what they are doing. We have interests and ideas that we think we know everything about. We spend the majority of our time thinking about what we can do to elevate ourselves rather than looking to see how we can support others already doing that exact thing. I’m guilty of it. I’m glad I stopped to pick up the magazine and I’m glad I get to share this recipe with you. It’s perfect for a hot summer day.

Enjoy,

Melissa Tate

Lime Tea

Ingredients

5 cups strong, hot tea

1 1/4 cups sugar

Juice of 1 lime

5 cups cool water

Directions

Brew tea according to package.

Place hot tea in 2 1/2 quart pitcher.

Add sugar and stir until sugar dissolves.

Add lime juice and 5 cups cool water.

Pour over ice in glasses and serve.

By Blue Ribbon News guest columnist Melissa Tate of Rockwall. Melissa is a freelance food writer and owner of Photo-Wagon mobile photo booth. She also helps her husband run their family farm, Tate Farms, and event center, Summerfield at Tate Farms. They are currently managing the Smirl Chapel Relocation & Preservation Project. Find Melissa on www.melissatatetx.com, on Facebook or Instagram at @melissatatetx to follow the adventures. Headshot by Kelly Alexander Photography.