Keeping Your Cool

With the high temperatures blistering a great many of us theses days and with many more weeks of summer left, perhaps an icy round up of cool servers is in order.  No need to sweat the small stuff and be concerned about wilted salad greens, room temperature beverages or food spoilage at your next soiree. Grab one of these and let your worries be no more.

Just Chillin'!

Left to right, clockwise:  Luau Beverage Tub: Crate and Barrel, $99.95; Jericho Glass Beverage Dispenser: Kaboddle.com, $146; Marini Glass in Chiller:  Crafty Bartender, $9; 2 Piece Chip and Dip Server:  Crate and Barrel, $36.95

White Tea with Orange and Mango Slushy

Here is a refreshing dessert and a wonderful way to cool off!  Try serving this to your guests in that adorable martini glass sitting in crushed ice!

White tea is the least processed of all teas and depending on the variety, it can contain up to three times as many antioxidants as green tea.  It has a mild and sweet flavor and has none of the grass-like flavors some green teas can produce.  For these reasons, it is a good choice with a recipe like this.

Serves four

Gather

• 1 cup filtered water
• 5 white tea bags
• 1 cup orange segments
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped mango
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 2 cups ice cubes or a bit more
• mint sprigs

blender


Now do this

• Boil the water until just under the boil and pour over tea bags.
• Brew for 5 minutes or a bit longer.
• Remove tea bags. Do not squeeze the bags as this can create bitterness. 
• If time allows, chill tea in freezer for a few minutes.
• Combine tea, orange segments, mango, lime juice and ice in blender. (If tea was not chilled, add a few more cubes of ice.)
• Process in blender to a a slushy consistency. 
• Taste and adjust flavors - a bit more lime or ice, etc.
• Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.
• Serve immediately or place in freezer to serve a little later.

Serving It Right On the Rocks

When serving cold foods in hot weather, using ice is the best option to keep proper cold temperatures. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when choosing to maintain your chilled food this way:

• Ensure the ice is level with the top of the serving dish for best results. 
• Check the serving pieces occasionally and replace melted ice when needed.
• Use smaller serving pieces.  Don’t put out your whole salad (or other cold dish).  Replenish when necessary.
• Do not add fresh food items onto what has been sitting out.  Rather, switch out containers frequently, keeping your food items cold and fresh.
• Consider renting an ice table for a large party.  These tables contain a well that you fill with ice to place your serving dishes nestled in the ice. 
• When in doubt, throw it out.  Food perishes quickly and much quicker in warm weather, even when using ice if it is not maintained.