Everyday Summer Brew

soothing herbs for summertime

I teamed up with one of my favorite vintage and house label brands, Ludlow Shop, over on IG last week and shared one of my go-to recipes with her community so I thought I’d share that with you too.

If you know me, you know I love clothes and adorning myself with comfortable materials and quality pieces is something that brings me a lot of joy.

Its hard to not seek out beautiful things at every chance I get with a Pisces Sun, Cancer Rising, and Libra Moon :) I was so touched when Madison from Ludlow Shop reached out since I’ve been following her vintage brand for years.

She’s got such an eye when it comes to sources and styling and I’ve found a lot of inspiration in the way she puts things together.

Recently, she’s created a house line of thoughtfully curated pieces and her Sandra Shirt spoke to me. Growing up, my grandparents always wore cotton button downs to stay cool but covered in the Florida heat, so they’re a bit of a nostaligic piece of clothing for me.

Now that I’m older and my personal style continues to evolve, I know how imporatant having something easy to wear—while still feeling put together— in the kitchen, the garden, or out running errands really is.

When I saw Madison’s version with exaggerated French cuffs, it felt like the perfect bit of elavation to my everyday go-to shirt. It’s such a comfortable shirt to throw on in the morning when I’m out in the garden enjoying a cup of tea or coffee.

Speaking of tea! With summer widing down, though certainly not over, I wanted to share a refreshing herbal tea that’s perfect for helping you cool off and chill out.

It's easy to get out of balance and end up feeling depleted, irritated and burnt out during the summer months, especially if you’re spending time outdoors. One of the best ways to make sure you’re supporting hydration is by brewing a batch of tea each evening to enjoy the next day.

While this may seem like an extra step in your daily routine, mixing a weekly batch of your favorite dried herbal tea blend will save so much time and encourage you to drink your quart of mineral-rich tea each day.

You can think of this seasonal tea blend like a multivitamin in a way. Working with herbs that are high in vitamins and minerals and give gentle whole-body support work best when enjoyed over time.

Just like you wouldn’t expect your multivitamin to make a difference in how you feel after once use, the same goes for these herbs—it takes time to support your body to come back into balance.

Since many fresh herbs are in abundance this time of year, you might be able to find them at the market or grow them in your garden. If you don’t have access to fresh plants, dried herbs are wonderful in their own right and of course have a longer shelf life. 

For this blend you’ll find some herbs with bitter, cooling and calming properties like mint, chamomile and lemon balm. They tend to grow like weeds in the summertime in California gardens, which means they’re great to cut back and harvest frequently. 

Harvesting herbs encourages them to push new growth and stay vibrant throughout the season. You’ll also see there’s marshmallow root in this blend because of its moistening and cooling properties that will be of benefit if you live in a drier region—and is a great ally to work with in the dry fall season too!

If you live in a more tropical place, sub the marshmallow for holy basil to help with balancing the excess moisture or humidity since it has more of a drying quality. 

For many blends, herbalists create them using ratios or parts instead of using exact measurements like tablespoon or teaspoons. Making a formula this way allows you to translate the ingredients from a cup of tea to a batch large enough to enjoy throughout the week. 

To make a pint of Everyday Summer Brew with dried herbs, see the ratio below. You can refresh this jar weekly so you don’t have to mix up a new batch everytime you want to make a cup or a quart of tea to enjoy. 

Soothing Herbs for Summertime 

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) | Known for its sweet smelling aster flowers, chamomile is used to soothe emotional and muscle tension and promote a sense of calm. Often used when having trouble falling asleep, it’s a wonderful ally for fussy kids and adults alike.  Along with its nervine and antispasmodic properties, it’s also a carminative that’s especially helpful for stress manifesting in the gut in the form of excess gas, cramping, IBS, and ulcers. It can help calm heat-related emotional and physical issues, such as anger, frustration, and eczema. 

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) | This member of the mint family is most widely used for its ability to soothe and calm the digestive and nervous systems, lemon balm is a powerful yet gentle nervine you can add to teas, sauces, pesto, or salad dressings. On top of all of that, its antiviral properties make it wonderful to add to cold and flu formulas while helping to support the body’s natural defenses. Especially, when you’re overwhelmed, overworked, or just plain exhausted, lemon balm can bring in a feeling of lightness and calm, so you can have space to unwind. It doesn’t necessarily make you sleepy, it just gently reminds the nervous system that it doesn’t need to be on guard, which can be exhausting in and of itself. 

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) |Passionflower vine has striking intricate blooms that make a lovely addition to any garden. The flowers, stems, and leaves hold medicinal benefits, though you’ll likely find dried leaves and stems most abundant in an herb shop. One of the most revered nervines, passionflower is often given to soothe restless minds from anxiety and sleeplessness. It’s commonly used for its gentle sedating effects, though not everyone reacts to it this way. Its antispasmodic action makes it an ally for menstrual cramps or spasms in the muscles. Its flavor is mild and somewhat earthy, but makes for a delicious cup of tea on its own or blended with other soothing herbs in a formula. 

Everyday Summer Brew

Ingredients 

½ cup lemon balm 

¼ cup mint 

¼ cup chamomile

¼ cup passion flower 

¼ cup marshmallow root 

Directions to make a pint of dried tea blend 

Make a pint jar of this herbal blend so you’ll have it mixed and ready to go each day. You can add all of the herbs to a bowl to mix, or add directly to the jar, leaving a little space from the top so you can close with the lid and shake to mix. 

Directions to make a quart of tea 

1. To a quart-sized mason jar, add 4 tablespoons of the Everyday Summer Brew blend. 

2. Cover with hot water leaving about an inch of space from the top of the jar. 

3. If you’d like, sweeten with a teaspoon or two of honey.

4. Close with a lid and let cool on the counter then pop in the fridge to infuse overnight. 

5. Strain out the herbs and pour tea into a clean mason jar. 

6. Enjoy throughout the day chilled or gently reheated. 
   

Enjoy! xx - Sarah Kate

*Adapted from The Kosmic Kitchen Cookbook