Not spearmint, or chocolate mint, or anything else with a fancy name - just old-fashioned garden mint.
Unlike rosemary, mint loves to get its feet into a bit of water now and then. Like rosemary, though, it is tough once established and will go on and on - and all through the garden, if not contained. So, for this gardener’s peace of mind and the mint’s good health, I keep it a pot. Big pot, sitting in a deep bowl that can be partly filled with water if the gardener is going away for a few days. Recently I forgot to do that, and the mint looked rather sad when I came home (ie dead). But I gave it a haircut and a dose of ¼-strength seaweed emulsion, and within a week it was shooting away again.
Mint and rosemary, both strong and aromatic, can be used interchangeably in recipes for sweets and meats, but with quite a different end effect on flavour. Think roast lamb; yoghurt marinated lamb chops; fruit salad; garden salad - each with a touch of mint or hint of rosemary. Both work. I love mint because the smell reminds me of my grandmother. One of my earliest memories is of watching her make mint sauce, rocking the knife back and forth across the mint which she had covered with sugar so the leaves would bruise and crush, releasing maximum flavour.
MINT SAUCE
Strip leaves from several sprigs of garden mint and place on a chopping board. Add 1- 2 teaspoons sugar, and chop the mint through the sugar until finely shredded and bruised. Put this sticky, minty mix into a small jug with ¼ teaspoon salt, and cover with 20 ml boiling water. Stir until sugar has dissolved and top up with ¼ -½ cup brown or malt vinegar. Taste. Add more salt if needed. Will keep indefinitely in fridge, but mint sauce takes only a minute to do and tastes best when freshly made.
MINT and YOGHURT MARINADE
This is a quick-and-easy idea for adding zest to a pair of BBQ stalwarts - the good ol’ Aussie lamb chop and fillet of chicken breast, both of which can easily become a tad dry when done on the barbecue. Plan ahead and marinate overnight if possible, or for a few hours on the morning of feasting. When barbecued (grilled or pan-fried), the marinade forms a crispy crust. Also excellent for oven-baking, and makes enough for 6 portions.
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To 1 cup plain yoghurt add 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel, 1 or 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper, 2 teaspoons plain flour and as much roughly chopped garden mint as you wish. Mix well. Spread generously over both sides of lamb or chicken. Place in single layer and refrigerate until 30 minutes before cooking.
MINT and YOGHURT DIP
Very easy. As above, without the flour (and minus the meat, of course). Great to take on a picnic with a crusty loaf.
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Written and compiled by two frogs.
Good to see your lovely Mint recovered, my Mum always had her Mint plant under the backyard tap, so drips, spills etc were keeping the soil moist.
ReplyDeleteYou could place your mint pot(no saucer) under an outside tap and let the roots go into the soil, it will never dry right out and keep contained in the pot, win, win.
There was an old wives tale, that if you plant Parsley in the ground , you will become pregnant or have a baby boy,can't remember which.Mum said it was a load of rubish and planted some near the Mint......2 unexpected baby brothers later.....the Parsley was ripped out and not even grown in a pot till many years later ...lol
Hi Margaret, thanks for your lovely comments - under the tap is a great place for the mint - thank you. Love the story about your mum too, hope it's not too cheeky to say she must have confused superstition with contraception!
ReplyDeleteHa ha, it was pre "the pill" days when contraception was pretty hit and miss a lot of the time and 4 kids was the norm.
DeleteMy favourite mint and yoghurt dip is Tatziki, served with Zuchini fritters or slice, easy and delicious.