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nomadchowwoman
Jul 11, 2009 10:43 AM
Mint takes over my garden and lives, pretty much, year round, but it's no mere weed to me. I love it. I make mojitos and mint daiquiries (spelling?) using fresh mint; I stuff mint into fresh spring rolls; I make mint "pesto" (same recipe as for basil, but with no cheese), which freezes beautifully: this is great smeared on lamb chops, dolloped on a cold shrimp atop a cracker for a quick canape, swirled into pea, carrot, or tomato soup, tossed with sauteed zucchini, crookneck squash, roasted eggplant or carrots, as a dip for Indian pakoras, as a baste for grilled shrimp.
And I always have on hand mint simple syrup--a great way to use copious amounts of mint--which is wonderful in tea and lemonade although I must confess I use it more often mixed with bourbon for mint juleps or for a really refreshing cocktail, mixed with vodka, lime juice, and soda.
I also put large bunches of it in vases in my kitchen, and if I have any flowers in the garden, I use it in casual flower "arrangements." I love it especially mixed with roses (my roses are less than spectacular and the mint calls attention away from their imperfections). -
kchurchill5
Jul 11, 2009 07:15 AM
http://www.ecurry.com/blog/basics/wat...
I did this and it is very good.
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Mint & apple relish:
0.5kg each of apples, onion & raisins. A lot of mint ( I reckon on filling a 500ml measuring jug with finely chopped mint to be about right for this). 250g tomato (skinned). 0.5kg sugar. 500ml cider vinegar, 2 tablespoon mustard seeds, 2 teaspon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper. Chop everything. Bubble away in your preserving pan until it's thick. Pot up and stick in the cupboard for 3 months. It's delicious and will easily keep for a couple of years without going in the fridge.
Mint sauce (for lamb): Simply chop and add malt vinegar to cover. Add sugar when you're ready to serve and some more vinegar to get the right consistency.
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Have you done the ice thing with mint in the past? And how well does that work?
One thing we did with a lot of our herbs at the end of the season last year (for those that don't dry that well) is make compound butters with them. The flavors stayed very strong that way. So we made butters with tarragon, parsley, chive and some other things.
Seems like that might work with mint as well if you can use those flavors together.
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I usually dry a couple of large bunches for mint tea in winter, make mint simple syrup (steep leaves in hot syrup until cool, strain through cheesecloth) to add to drinks and baking projects, bury fresh leaves in sugar for mint flavored sugar, dry candy prime leaves for garnishes, and steep some in vinegar for fruit salad dressings and sauces. I do jellies too: straight mint, your rosemary mint, tarragon mint; and preserves: peach mint, pear mint honey.
