A few years ago, Steph got into a bad rock-climbing accident, which forced her to spend a big part of the summer in the hospital. It was a very scary time for all of us, but things could’ve been a lot worse had she been forced to eat hospital food every day and miss the best of the summer vegetable growing season. Thankfully, we brought her food from Elena almost every day, including this crunchy, tangy and herbaceous cucumber salad. Every bite tastes like summer and friendship, which is especially comforting when you’re trapped inside.

When I daydream of summer, I think of lazy afternoons at the lake house, cold drinks on the water, and colorful salads in the backyard. When enjoying an alfresco meal with friends and family, I like to have a pitcher of iced tea on hand to keep everyone hydrated and happy. The combination of slow-brewed green tea, juicy ripe peaches, and mint is nourishing on its own as an afternoon tonic, or you can spike it up for a special occasion with a dry white wine. For the best flavor, give the tea and peaches at least 5 hours to get acquainted—the flavors will only improve with time.

The Manhattan is one of the American cocktail kings, whether you’re ordering one in a temple of mixology or a corner dive. We swapped in our pasilla-spiced vermouth to give it more Angeleno intrigue and named it after the other great metropolis of the Americas that I call home. If you like a drier cocktail, scale back the vermouth and use more bourbon.