My friend James T. Farmer of Perry, Georgia, is a landscape architect by training and a Southern lifestyle authority by birthright. He is also the author of several beautiful and indispensable gardening, cooking, and entertaining books, including A Time to Celebrate, Dinner on the Grounds, A Time to Cook, and others. We became fast friends over a shared lunch of fried chicken on the porch at Ebbtide, at which time he revealed the secret of his world-famous iced tea. Two words: Earl Grey. The black leaves in Earl Grey tea have been flavored with the oil of bergamot orange, giving it a lovely, distinctive floral flavor, that in turn elevates James T’s iced tea to something very special.
3 family-size tea bags
1 Earl Grey tea bag
1 cup sugar
Peach wedges, mint sprigs for garnish (optional)
1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the tea bags, remove from the heat, and let steep for about 5 minutes. Pour the tea into a 1-gallon pitcher, reserving the tea bags in the saucepan.
2. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and 2 cups water in a separate medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, and let stand until cooled.
3. Add the sugar syrup to the tea in the pitcher. Add water to the tea bags in the saucepan. Add to the tea in the pitcher, continuing the process until the mixture measures 1 gallon. Serve over ice, garnished with the peach slices and/or mint sprigs if desired.