LITTLE ROCK — It grows like a weed and can spread like a wildfire, but as any mint-lover and gardener knows, the aromatic herb is as perky and flavorful as it is prolific.
The sunshiny pizazz of fresh mint and its cool, clean flavor make it a welcome addition to warm-weather dishes ranging from peach cobbler to fresh mint ice cream.
But mint’s culinary uses extend beyond the dessert menu.
There’s leafy-green mint in pesto and potato salads. Mint in fruit salsas, dressings and sauces. Not to mention the trendy mojito. The Cuban libation teams oodles of fresh mint with rum, sugar and lime juice. Over the past few years, it has become a must-have concoction in watering holes from coast to coast.
There are so many varieties of mint that, according to herb expert Leslie Bremness in her book The Complete Book of Herbs, a monk writing in the ninth century said he’d rather count the sparks of Vulcan’s furnace.
Here’s a sample of mint varieties available from nurseries:
Spearmint: The most widely grown mint variety, it has a milder flavor than peppermint. The leaves have serrated edges. In summer it has purple flowers.
Peppermint: There are several peppermint varieties. Most have long, pointed leaves with serrated edges. These mints have the greatest percentage of menthol.
Curly mint: Frilly-edged leaves make this a very attractive garnish. Flavor is mild and somewhat vegetal, a taste that is a blend of mint and parsley.
Pineapple mint: Apple-green leaves edged with creamy white make this mint a spectacular garnish and a knockout in the garden. It has a subtle tropical fruit scent.
Chocolate mint: It has dark chocolate-colored stems and a chocolate scent.
Mint-infused sugar is a delicious way to sweeten ice tea or enhance the flavor of baked goods like pies and cobblers.
Mint Sugar
2 sprigs fresh mint, cleaned and thoroughly dried 2 cups granulated sugar
Combine mint and sugar in an airtight container. Seal container and place in a cool, dry place for 1 to 2 weeks. Remove and discard mint before using. Makes 2 cups.
Quick Mint Sugar
1 /4 to 1 /2 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped 1 cup granulated sugar
Combine chopped mint and granulated sugar and mix well. Use within 24 hours. Makes about 1 1 /4 cups.
Mojito
For each drink: 8 mint leaves PLUS 1 sprig mint Ice 2 ounces white (silver) rum 3 /4 ounce lime juice 1 ounce simple syrup (see note) 1 /2 ounce chilled club soda
In a cocktail shaker, muddle (crush) the mint leaves. Add ice, rum, lime juice and simple syrup, cover and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled glass and stir in club soda. Garnish with mint sprig.
Makes 1 cocktail.
Note: For the simple syrup combine equal parts water and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Remove from heat, cool and transfer to a jar or other airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. Will keep for about 1 month. For an extra-minty mojito, use Mint Sugar.
Recipe adapted from Food and Wine
Sliced Melon With Mint-Scented Syrup
1 /4 cup chopped fresh mint 1 /4 cup fresh lime juice 3 tablespoons honey 1 (3-pound) cantaloupe OR honeydew melon
In a bowl, whisk together the mint, lime juice and honey. Peel and seed melon, then cut into slices. Arrange melon on a serving platter and spoon mint mixture over. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
Minted Potato Salad
1 /2 medium red onion, finely chopped 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut
into matchsticks 1 clove garlic, minced 1 /4 cup balsamic vinegar OR red wine
vinegar 2 1 /2 teaspoons salt, divided use 2 pounds fingerling or new potatoes,
scrubbed and cut into 1 /2-inch slices 1 /4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 /2 cup coarsely chopped mint 1 /2 cup coarsely chopped kalamata olives Ground black pepper
In a bowl, combine onion, bell pepper, garlic, vinegar and 1 /2 teaspoon of the salt. Set aside.
Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons salt and bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool until steam stops rising.
Add olive oil, mint, olives and ground black pepper to taste to onion mixture and mix well. Add potatoes and gently toss to coat.
Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe adapted from The Herbfarm Cookbook by Jerry Traunfeld
Roasted Peaches With Mint Sugar
and Almonds
2 tablespoons butter, divided use 1 /4 cup sugar, divided use 4 small to medium peaches, halved, pitted 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint 1 /4 cup slivered blanched almonds
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heavily grease a 9-inch pie pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar evenly over bottom of prepared pie pan. Place halved peaches cut-side down in dish.
In a small bowl, combine remaining tablespoon butter, the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, the mint and the almonds and mix well. Sprinkle mixture over peaches.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until peaches are tender. Serve warm.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Recipe from Kelly Brant
Chocolate Cake With Mint
Whipped Cream Frosting
Butter, for greasing pan Flour, for dusting pan 1 (18.25-ounce) package devil’s food cake
mix with pudding 1 cup sour cream 3 /4 cup water OR milk 1 /2 cup vegetable oil 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Frosting: 2 to 2 1 /2 cups chilled heavy
cream 1 /4 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons finely minced
fresh mint
Place rack in center of oven and heat to 350 degrees. Generously grease 2 (9-inch) cake pans with butter, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour. Set aside.
Place cake mix, sour cream, water, oil, eggs and vanilla in large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more. Divide batter between two pans. Bake 28 to 32 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans set on wire racks. Run dinner knife around edge of cake and invert onto cooling rack. Cool completely.
In large bowl combine heavy cream, sugar and mint and whip until stiff peaks form.
Place one cake layer right side up on serving platter. Spread top with frosting. Add second layer, right side up, and frost top and sides of cake. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Cake recipe is from Chocolate From The Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn
Frosting recipe from Kelly Brant
This mint ice cream has an intense flavor completely different from mint ice cream made with extract and begs for a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
Fresh Mint Ice Cream
1 cup whole milk 3 /4 cup granulated sugar 2 cups heavy cream, divided
use Pinch of salt 1 ounce fresh mint 5 large egg yolks
Over medium-low heat, combine milk, sugar, 1 cup of the cream, and the salt in a small saucepan and heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, until bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan. Remove from heat, add the mint leaves and stir to immerse mint. Cover and let steep at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Strain milk and mint mixture through a mesh strainer into a medium saucepan, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard the mint leaves.
Heat over medium-low heat until mixture is steaming, but not simmering. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mint liquid into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then return mixture into medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into a large bowl and set the strainer on top. Pour the custard through the strainer.
Stir well. Cover and refrigerate mixture until well chilled.
Transfer to an ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Make about 1 quart.
Recipe adapted from davidlebo vitz.com
Kelly Brant contributed additional information and recipes to this story.
Food, Pages 34 on 07/21/2010