Summer’s refresher
Add versatile mint to grilled meats, salads Baked sweet potatoes with sesame-mint butter
Dinner at Home
At this point in the summer, my cooking needs refreshing. Good thing the mint bursts its boundaries in the herb garden.
There’s a reason most of us enjoy mint in our toothpaste and chewing gum. It cleans the palate in a way no other ingredient can.
There are many varieties of mint — smooth-leaved, crinkly, variegated, fuzzy, shiny. Peppermint and spearmint are my favorites for all-purpose kitchen companions.
For those without herb gardens, farmers markets, produce stands and ethnic groceries sell bundles on the cheap. Supermarkets offer little packets that last well in the fridge.
Rinse mint sprigs well under cool running water. Shake off the water and spread the sprigs on a towel to dry. Put the dry sprigs into a zippered plastic bag with a damp square of paper towel. Close the bag and refrigerate up a week.
I stock pitchers of water, laced with several sprigs of mint, for a cold refresher I drink all day long. I tuck tiny mint leaves into green salads and fruit bowls for a surprise between bites. Chopped mint in sour cream or plain yogurt makes a delicious dip for cut veggies. Freeze it into ice cubes to spike mojitos and gin-and-tonics.
Chopped and added to soft butter, the spread refreshes morning toast or pancakes and dinner’s steamed vegetables and grilled fish. Baked sweet potatoes topped with a sesame mint butter prove so delicious they are often all we have for dinner after a summer’s walk.
When the garden yields an abundance of mint, I make a variety of condiments to have on hand to perk up my cooking all week long. The hoisin-mint marinade recipe that follows transforms fast-cooking pork tenderloin and chicken pieces. Leftover marinade can enliven grain salads and sandwiches.
If you make no other homemade salad dressing this summer, try the avocado mint version included here. Refreshing, creamy and tangy, the mixture tastes great on hearty green salads as well as tomato slices and watermelon chunks or as a veggie dip. I dollop it on grilled fish and sliced eggplant. Try it instead of mayo for a fantastic chicken or egg salad.
If nothing else, add it to a pitcher of sun tea. Then sit on the deck and thank your lucky stars for such a refreshing way to cool off.