Summer iced tea

This morning I wanted an iced tea, so I stopped at Starbucks. The cashier talked me into a lemonade iced tea, which translated into a splash of lemonade, shot of tea and cupful of ice -- all for $3. Refreshing, yes, but hardly worth it. Reminded me of the $4 Lipton I got in an airport in Turkey (yes, the same country where a rug merchant will offer you cup after cup of real çay as long as you sit and listen to him tell you how Turkish rugs are made). But back to my flavored ice. On my way home, I came up with a plan to make my own flavored iced tea:
Brew black or green tea and pour into a pitcher or large glass. Place frozen fruit in the tea (berries, peaches, mango... whatever sounds good!) and let sit in the fridge overnight. In the morning, add a couple ice cubes and you should have a lightly-flavored morning tea, without having to go to the coffee shop!

Banana, coconut, sweet potato pie

This is sweet potato pie with a Caribbean twist. I still had one of the monster sweet potatoes (one and a half pounds!) from the Virginia Beach farm and I decided I wanted to make a pie with it. But I also wanted to add something to it to make it more than just a regular sweet potato pie, something that made it more of a summer pie. So I decided to add a layer of banana and coconut. I thought a corn-based grain would go well with the other flavors, and corn flakes would also provide texture. This pie turned out to be quite sweet, but with a natural rather than a sugary sweetness. Also, I make a note to add the optional topping right before serving, otherwise the cereal gets soggy, as I discovered when I ate a day-old piece. This pie is best served chilled and is a great way to get your Thanksgiving pie fix in the middle of summer.

Banana, coconut, sweet potato pie

Crust:
2 T butter, melted
1 T molasses
3 T wheat flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup crushed corn flakes (plain)
1 1/2 T shredded coconut flakes (unsweetened)
3 T flax seed meal
pinch of ground clove and just a touch of curry

Mix above ingredients and spread in a oiled pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Layer:
2 medium bananas, thinly sliced
coconut flakes (same kind as used for crust)

After the crust is finished baking, spread banana slices over the crust and sprinkle a thin layer of coconut over the bananas. 

Filling:
1 1/2 lb. sweet potato (boil about 25 min until soft, remove skin and mash with 2 T butter. let cool before adding other ingredients)
4 oz brown sugar
4 oz plain lowfat yogurt
2 oz almond milk (can sub soy or regular milk)
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites, whipped and mixed with 2 oz granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground clove

Mix brown sugar, yogurt, milk, yolks and spices into the mashed sweet potato. Fold in the beaten egg whites and sugar. Pour filling over the banana/coconut layer and bake for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees, or until the middle of the pie is firm.

Optional topping (add right before serving):
Mix together crushed corn flakes, chopped walnuts and some brown sugar and sprinkle over top of pie.

(Recipe and photo by H. Farrell)