Mojitos!!

My personal fav..... Mint Juleps! I have started making Simple Syrup (equal parts sugar and water, heated until the sugar melts) and pouring it over crushed/bruised mint. That is then chilled and used as the mixer for a chilled glass of fine single barrel bourbon. Traditionally served on the first Saturdday in May, it should be enjoyed much more often!

Alexa

One of my summer favorites:

TABBOULEH

4 Cups Cooked Bulgar
1/4 Cup Extra-virgin Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Cloves Finely Minced Garlic
1 Cup Coarsely Chopped Mint Leaves
1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Dill
2 Cups Seeded and Diced Plum Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Thinly Sliced Scallions
Salt and Fresh Pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine Bulgar, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, and Garlic. Add chopped Mint, Dill, Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Scallions. Stir completely, and taste for seasonings. Let stand for one hour for flavor to develop.

And I second the Mint Juleps!!

Steve

Sometimes, I add a good size handfull of fresh mint leaves to a normal batch of pesto. It's great on pasta. A little bit of the mint/basil pesto mixed with olive oil also makes a nice salad dressing. Mint sauce is good with lamb.

/tricia

Linda, mojitos were my first thought before I even opened the thread. LOL

I like the fresh flavor of mint in this salad.

TURKISH SHEPHERD'S SALAD
3 large tomatoes
2 medium size cucumbers
2 medium size Green Peppers
1 large red onion
1/2 bunch Parsley
7 - 8 whole sprigs fresh mint
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt (or less to taste)
Sumac powder *

(This is not a marinated-type salad and is best when all the ingredients are chopped and mixed close to serving time.)

Wash the vegetables; peel and halve cucumbers, removing seeds; remove stems and seeds of the green peppers, and remove the surplus parts of onion, parsley and the mint. Chop the onions, green peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers into cubes about 1 cm. In size (between 1/4 and 1/2 inch.). Finely chop the mint and parsley. Add lemon juice and salt to olive oil, whisk well and pour over the salad immediately before serving. Sprinkle lightly with sumac powder. *Note: if you dont have sumac powder, increase the lemon juice to 2 Tbs.

I like mint in the filling of stuffed grape leaves.

I make a mint extract to use in iced tea year'round. Just jam a pint jar full of mint leaves and fill with vodka. Let it steep for a couple of months.

I also make a 'constant comment' extract with orange peel, cloves, cinnamon sticks and whole nutmeg.

And --- ginger extract!

Frosted Mint Leaves
1 egg white, lightly beaten
castor sugar
mint leaves

Lightly brush each mint leaf with the egg white, roll lightly in the castor sugar and place the leave onto a cake rack. Leave for about an hour while the egg white dries with its crust of sugar. Use to decorate cakes, pavlova etc or as an after-dinner treat.

Meatballs with Mint
600g minced lamb
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon oil
60g finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 tablespoons chopped mint

Put the meat into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the onion until lightly coloured. Stir the onion into the meat. Add the herbs and mix well. Form into small balls, place on a greased baking tray and bake for 25 minutes at 180°C, turning once or twice. Or the meatballs may be cooked in a frypan. Serve with Yoghurt and Mint Sauce.

Yoghurt and Mint Sauce
300ml plain yoghurt
1 cucumber, peeled and coarsely grated
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper
24 mint leaves

Beat the yoghurt until smooth. Squeeze excess moisture from the cucumber between the hands. Puree the yoghurt, cucumber and garlic together in a blender with the salt, pepper and mint. Refrigerate. Quantities may be halved if desired. Serve with hot or cold roast lamb, grilled chops, over hot boiled new potatoes.

Mint and Orange Cake
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
30g butter
30g sugar
1 egg
150ml milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
rind of 1 orange, finely grated
1 tablespoon finely chopped eau-de-cologne mint

Rub butter into flour, add rind, sugar and mint. Add egg and milk, mix thoroughly. Spoon into a greased loaf tin and bake at 170°C for 1 hour. Leave for 24 hours before cutting.

Mint Sorbet
1 bunch of mint leaves, as many varieties as you like
150ml water
juice of 1 lemon
125g castor sugar
2 egg whites

Boil the sugar and water for 5 minutes, cool. Put the mint leaves into a blender with the syrup and blend well, then put the mixture through a fine sieve. Add the strained lemon juice and freeze until just beginning to harden. Return it to the blender and blend well. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites and return to the freezer in an airtight container. Remove from the freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Minted Baked Tomatoes
2 tomatoes
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped mint
salt and pepper to taste
pinch sugar
2 cups breadcrumbs
1-2 teaspoons butter

Cut tomatoes in halves and scoop out the centres into a bowl. Add shallot, mint, salt, pepper and sugar, stir to combine, then spoon mixture into the tomato shells. Top with breadcrumbs, then dot with butter. Bake in a greased dish at 180°C for about 20 minutes. Serve as an entrée, or with grilled meats.

For a delicious summer cooler, combine watermelon balls with chopped fresh mint. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally, before serving.

Toss whole mint leaves in cooked rice before serving.

Chop spearmint, mix with olive oil and use as a marinade for fresh tuna. Marinate 30 minutes, grill.

Add mint to the liquid poaching pears or other fruits.

Add a little Parmesan cheese and chopped mint to fried zucchini.

Brush mint leaves with melted chocolate and when set, use as an after-dinner treat, or to decorate cakes, desserts etc.

Add chopped mint to a potato salad, or a fruit salad. Sprinkle some over peas, beans, carrots or boiled new potatoes.

This is the classic Mint Sauce which goes perfectly with a lamb roast dinner.

Mint Sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon boiling water
1/2 cup vinegar

Wash and dry the mint, remove stalks, chop finely and add sugar. Pour in the boiling water. Add vinegar and stir well. Serve with roast lamb. [Note: if you combine the leaves and sugar first, it will make the leaves easier to chop, so they don't cling to the cutters or knife.]

This salad goes over well every time I've served it. I substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth since I'm vegetarian, and no one has complained or noticed, but they'd probably like it the original way, too.

Mediterranean Salad
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1-pound) box Israeli couscous (or any small pasta)
3 cups chicken stock
2 lemons, juiced
1 lemon, zested
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

In a medium saucepan, warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the couscous and cook until toasted and lightly browned, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Carefully add the stock, and the juice of 1 lemon, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the couscous is tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the couscous.
In a large bowl, toss the cooked couscous with the remaining olive oil, remaining lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper and let cool.
Once the couscous is room temperature, add the fresh herbs, dried cranberries, and almonds. Toss to combine and serve.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Episode#: EI0819
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

Mint can be thrown into lots of things to add a little zing.

Sally

When you can get juicy, ripe cantelope/honeydew melons - scoop out with a melon baller or just dice them into chunks. Drizzle with honey, squeeze on some fresh lime juice and toss in some finely chopped fresh mint. This is a wonderful salad for a brunch.

seagrass

No inspiration here! :-0 I am crazy about most vegetables. However, mint is one of the rare ones that I cannot stomach. I didn't like parsley, celery and cilantro when I was a kid, but managed to overcome those. Mint, I still cannot swallow it. Hubby and little man don't like mint either so it's not something we serve in our family.

Al

Make a simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water, boil until the sugar is completely dissolved, add several tablespoons of finely chopped mint, stir, let cool - drizzle over a salad of fresh cut fruit or add cut fruit to the syrup in a bowl and chill for several hours, stirring occasionally.

Watermelon Mojito

Cut a watermelon into chunks and freeze. Put as much frozen watermelon into a blender as it will hold. Add 1/2 to 3/4 a cup of rum, some lime juice and a small handfull of mint leaves. You may need a tiny bit of sugar if the watermelon isn't sweet enough. You can substitute vodka for a martini or tequila for a margarita.

After seeing daiseyduckworth's sugared mint leaves, I am reminded of something I saw Paula Deen do some time ago. She took mint leaves and dipped them in melted chocolate and set on waxed paper to harden. I did this and served them after dinner, a really unique twist on the traditional after dinner mint!

Steve

If you can, you could make mint jelly, here's the "easy" recipe:

FRESH MINT JELLY
Printed from COOKS.COM

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1/2 c. mint leaves
1 1/4 c. boiling water
2 tbsp. lemon juice
3 c. sugar
1/2 c. Certo and green color

To mint leaves, add boiling water and lemon juice. Let stand 1 hour. Add sugar. Bring to boiling point and strain. Add Certo and green color to make delicate green. Bring to the boiling point and boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat and pour in jelly glasses. To double the recipe, use 1 full bottle of Certo.

I prefer my mint jelly with an apple base and no commercial pectin.

MINT - APPLE JELLY

12 med. size cooking apples
3 c. sugar
1 tsp. mint extract or mint & peppermint extract
3 drops green food color

Quarter apples; remove stem and blossom ends. Add just enough water to cover. Cook, covered, 20 minutes or until apples are tender. Put apples, including juice, into jelly bag or 4 thicknesses of cheesecloth. Allow juice to drip from bag. (For clear jelly, do not squeeze bag.) Combine 4 cups of the juice with sugar and boil rapidly to jellying point, 220 degrees to 222 degrees or until two drops of jelly will run together off side of spoon. Add extract and food color. Remove from heat. Pour into hot half pint canning jars. Seal and process in a boiling water bath 10 minutes.

Makes about 4 half-pints.

I do like mint, not crazy for it, but I like peppermint tea when my stomach is upset.

Annie