By Sunday dinner to celebrate Ryan's lieutenant result. Steve grilled. Patty made the potato salad. I brought the strawberry jam and a loaf of good bread and a bouquet of dahlias from the market because it seemed like a dahlia occasion. Dziadek Wally was there, brought by his daughter, and he sat in his usual chair and ate grilled chicken and watched the twins and when Ryan told him about the promotion Wally shook his hand and said: "your grandfather would have been proud." Ryan's grandfather, Steve's father, who died before I knew this family. Ryan said: thank you, Wally. That was enough. That was exactly enough.
Owen and Nora are in the full chaos of two-and-a-half, which is: magnificent. They have developed a game called "fix it" where Owen identifies something as broken — a toy, a pillow arrangement, the configuration of blocks — and Nora fixes it with great ceremony and authority, and then they switch. I do not know where this came from. It appeared fully formed one Tuesday and has been going on for three weeks. I have watched it for accumulated hours. It does not get less interesting.
I have been baking bread again. In summer I bake less than winter — the oven heats the apartment — but the sourdough starter has been on the counter since January and needs feeding regardless, and once it is fed it seems a waste not to bake with it. I made a focaccia on Saturday: the olive oil and salt kind, the kind pressed into the pan with your fingertips so it has the proper dimples, topped with cherry tomatoes and fresh rosemary. I baked it at eight in the morning before the day got hot. We ate it for breakfast and then again at lunch with the last of the gazpacho. Summer in this kitchen.
The Fourth of July is in three weeks and we will do what we always do: Steve's backyard, Ryan at the grill, potato salad, coleslaw, watermelon. Hot dogs. The twins in red white and blue, which Patty has already purchased. Sparklers if the evening allows. The same as last year and the year before, which is: the point. This is what we do. This is who we are now.
Three weeks until the Fourth, and I’m already thinking about what I can contribute that isn’t just jam and bread — something for the table that feels as steady and celebratory as the day itself. We had sweet tea at Ryan’s promotion dinner, condensation rings on the picnic table, and it struck me that a really good pitcher of summertime tea is exactly the kind of thing that belongs in a backyard in July: simple, cold, a little festive, easy to make before the heat sets in the way I made the focaccia before eight in the morning. This is what I’m bringing to Steve’s this year, and probably every year after that.
Summertime Tea
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling) | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 4 cups water, divided
- 6 black tea bags
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3–4 lemons)
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, plus more for serving
- 4 cups cold water
- Ice, for serving
- Lemon slices, for garnish
Instructions
- Brew the tea. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and let the tea cool slightly.
- Make the simple syrup. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining 2 cups of water and the sugar. Stir until sugar is fully dissolved, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Muddle the mint. Place mint leaves in the bottom of a large pitcher and gently press with a wooden spoon or muddler to release the oils. Do not shred — just bruise.
- Combine. Pour the brewed tea, simple syrup, and fresh lemon juice into the pitcher over the mint. Add 4 cups of cold water and stir to combine.
- Chill. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the tea to become fully cold.
- Serve. Pour over ice in tall glasses. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs and lemon slices. Stir the pitcher before each pour.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 80 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 21g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 5mg