#coolers

Melon, Mint, and Cucumber Iced Tea Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups of water

2-3 bags of your preferred tea (green tea pairs nicely)

2 cups cubed melon (cantaloupe or honeydew work well)

1 small cucumber, thinly sliced

Fresh mint leaves

Ice cubes

Honey or another sweetener to taste (optional)

Melon balls, cucumber slices, and mint sprigs for garnish

Instructions:

Boil the water in a large pot or kettle. Once boiling, remove it from the heat and add the tea bags. Let them steep for about 3-5 minutes, then remove the tea bags.

In the meantime, blend the melon cubes until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove any solids, collecting the juice in a bowl.

Add the sweetener to the warm tea if desired, stirring until it dissolves.

Allow the tea to cool at room temperature, then refrigerate it until it's thoroughly chilled.

In a large pitcher, combine the chilled tea, melon juice, and cucumber slices. Add mint leaves to taste. Let it infuse for about 30 minutes in the fridge.

To serve, fill glasses with ice cubes. Pour the infused tea over the ice, making sure each glass gets some cucumber slices and mint leaves.

Garnish with a skewer of melon balls, a slice of cucumber, and a sprig of mint on the rim of each glass.

Coolers on parade, Fairfax City, 2024.