Freshly minted
Sweet or savory, the versatile herb always dazzles.
From ancient times and around the world even now, mint is a sign of hospitality. According to food writer Francine Segan in The Philosopher’s Kitchen, mint was a powerful symbol of welcome in ancient Greece and Rome. “Even poor peasants serving simple fare honored their guests by rubbing platters with the herb,” she writes. In an old Moroccan tradition that continues to this day, almost all socializing (and business dealing) is conducted over glasses of fresh mint tea. And, of course, Americans drink minty iced tea by the gallon all summer long.
Right now in farmer’s markets and supermarkets (and in a few backyards, I suspect) mint is so plentiful that we can all afford to show some hospitality with it. Its cool flavor and aroma can accent both savory and sweet, breathing freshness into a vast variety of dishes. The granita and vegetable recipes here (and at boston.com/magazine, where a soup and salad are posted) are but the most cursory glance at mint’s range of possibilities.
Mojito Granita Makes about 2 quarts
Adapted from The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz.
2/3 cup sugar
1½ tablespoons grated zest and ½ cup juice from 3 to 4 limes
1 cup packed, plus 1 tablespoon, finely chopped fresh mint leaves
½ cup light or white rum, optional
In a medium saucepan, stir the sugar and lime zest until moist and fragrant. Add 2 ½ cups water, set the pan over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, swirling pan occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes. Off heat, add 1 cup chopped mint, stir, and cool the syrup to room temperature.
Strain the mint mixture, pressing on the solids, into a shallow container such as a pie plate (discard the mint). Add the lime juice, 1 tablespoon chopped mint, and rum, if using, stir to distribute, cover, and put it in the freezer until softly frozen (not solid), about 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and gently run a fork through the frozen mass to break it down into loose crystals. Cover the container and return it to the freezer. Freeze until firm, checking and raking with a fork every hour or two to keep the crystals loose and fine, at least 6 hours (longer with rum in the mixture). Serve in chilled glasses or bowls.
Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas with Ham, Lemon Zest, and Mint Serves 6
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces ham, cut into ¼-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
1½ pounds (about 8 cups) sugar snap peas, strings removed, if desired
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1½ teaspoons finely grated zest and 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint
In a very large stick-resistant skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it ripples. Add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the sugar snap peas, and cook, stirring frequently, until they turn bright green, start to soften, and just begin to brown very lightly, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Off heat, add the lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste, and toss to distribute. Add the mint, toss to distribute, and serve at once.
Romaine Spears with Shallots and Mint vinaigrette Serves 6
1 garlic clove, minced or grated
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 romaine lettuce hearts, quartered lengthwise
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
In a medium nonreactive bowl, mix garlic, sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, mint, vinegar, and lemon juice, and stir to mix. Vigorously whisk in the olive oil, and set aside.
Arrange the romaine spears on a serving platter and scatter the shallot slices over them. Stir the vinaigrette to reblend, if necessary, and pour over the romaine. Serve at once.
Cold Minted Golden Beet Soup Serves 6
The flavor of golden beets is more delicate than that of red. In cool weather, I roast beets to intensify their flavor, but the hourlong roasting time is a drag in the summer. If your beets are roasted, cut the time they simmer in the broth down to 15 minutes. For a smoother soup, pour it through a fine sieve after pureeing.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
6 cups homemade or packaged low-sodium chicken broth
6 medium golden beets (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 1/4 cups chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup plain, Greek-style yogurt or creme fraiche, plus extra for garnish
In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot with a lid, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add the broth, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Add the beets, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste, return to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and cook until beets are tender, about 1 hour. Cool the mixture to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 6 hours.
To the chilled soup, add the ginger and all but 2 tablespoons of the mint, and, working in batches, process the mixture in a blender until smooth. Strain if desired, pour the mixture into a large bowl, add 1/2 cup yogurt or creme fraiche, and whisk gently to combine. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt or pepper, if necessary. Either cover and refrigerate the soup until serving (up to 1 day) or ladle it into chilled bowls, garnish each serving with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of the reserved chopped mint, and serve at once.
Send comments or suggestions to Adam Ried at cooking@globe.com.
