Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Flavor of the Week: Fresh Mint

 
Refresh-MINT 

A cold glass of water is so much more appealing with a sprig of mint and slice of lime.  What would a mojito be without mint? Not to mention a mint julep.  Fresh mint is a key ingredient in Asian, Middle Eastern and Northern African food.   Widely used as a flavoring, this herb is used in sweet and savory dishes.



Fresh mint is a great addition to a salad
Arugula and Frisee Salad with Peas, Pistachios and Pecorino

Mint and peas are a natural combination
Fettuccine with Veal, Peas and Mint
another Food & Wine recipe

photo by me
Three Herb and Chicken Spring Rolls 
from Dim Sum by Fiona Smith

In this recipe, mint, basil and cilantro team up deliver a flavor punch to a Vietnamese spring roll.  A sweet/tart dipping sauce is the perfect accompaniment.  I like these rolls for a cool dinner on a hot summer evening.  They are also fantastic for a cocktail party as they can be made in advance and cut in half and arranged on a platter for a two-bite finger food.


Place the herbs in the center of the rice paper wrap...
...then top with chicken slices and mango is you like.  When the spring roll is wrapped, the herbs will be on the top, a nice effect.

Enjoy-mint!



2 comments:

  1. I love mint in my iced tea, that's summer to me. Years ago, I found a great middle eastern grilled cheese recipe that I swear by. Mint is the key:
    http://www.antoniotahhan.com/2008/10/13/a-twist-on-the-all-american-classic/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mint is such a good addition to water. I need to make it happen this weekend!

    ReplyDelete

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