Here's a refreshing way to sip your tea this summer. Ginger and mint are wonderful accents to the classic glass of iced tea. From "Slurp: Drinks and Light Fare, All Day, All Night." (Andrews McMeel, $16.99).

GINGER AND MINT ICED TEA

makes 1 liter of iced tea

1 1/2 tablespoons of loose jasmine tea
4 slices of fresh ginger
1 lime, sliced
2 sprigs of fresh mint, plus additional for garnish
4 1/4 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Ice cubes

1. Put the tea, ginger, lime and mint into a heat proof pitcher. Add boiling water and let the tea steep for five minutes.

2. Strain the tea into another pitcher and add the sugar. Let the tea cool.

3. Pour tea into glasses filled with ice and garnish with fresh mint.

Here's a new recipe from the Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis. It includes slices of fresh apple and lemon. To sweeten the mixture, she incorporates a vanilla simple syrup.

SWEET APPLE ICED TEA

6 cups water
6 sweet apple tea bags (recommended: Celestial Seasonings Sweet Apple Chamomile)
1 1/3 cups Vanilla Simple Syrup, recipe follows
1 small apple, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
Ice

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the tea bags. Allow the liquid to cool to room temperature, about one hour. Remove the tea bags and discard.

2. Add the Vanilla Simple Syrup and stir. Pour the mixture into a glass pitcher. Add the apple and lemon slices and refrigerate for one hour.

3. Pour the tea into ice-filled glasses and serve.

VANILLA SIMPLE SYRUP

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, vanilla bean, and vanilla bean seeds. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes. Strain before using.

For more recipes, visit tulsaworld.com/foodnetwork .

When was iced tea invented?

They instantly loved it.

For more visit: tulsaworld.com/teahistory.