FOOD

GROW, DRY & BLEND YOUR OWN TEAS

Written by: Jade Miles @black_barn_farm

Herbal tea blends smack your senses on all fronts, the smell is heady, the color is much like my dad's vibrant oil paintings and the temptation to plunge your fingers into the crunchy petals and crispy leaves is a temptation not worth fighting.

We grow all our own herbal tea in the garden; chamomile, lavender, peppermint, Lemon balm, spearmint, roses, fennel and we dry them all during the heat of summer on our drying racks before we store them separately so we can mix our own blends throughout the year. 

Another simple idea (especially with the mint which grows like a weed) is to pick a bunch of it fresh and simply steep it for long enough for the boiling water to absorb some of its essence. Add a little honey and its delicious hot or cold.