It is hard to believe that, not so long ago, just about every recipe called for dried herbs. It was unheard of to see fresh versions of even the most commonly used herbs—basil, oregano, sage, thyme—in the stores. “Exotics” like tarragon were unheard of period until the late 70s or, in many locales, the 80s.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Miraculous Mint: Always in Style
It is hard to believe that, not so long ago, just about every recipe called for dried herbs. It was unheard of to see fresh versions of even the most commonly used herbs—basil, oregano, sage, thyme—in the stores. “Exotics” like tarragon were unheard of period until the late 70s or, in many locales, the 80s.
But mint, fresh and fragrant, was somehow always there. In the lemonade and the iced tea. Fresh.
I am guessing that this rare example of herbal freshness is
because mint was practically a weed: it was just there. It grew everywhere, and “took over”: most people pretty much
considered it a pest, and would dig it out save for a tiny bit for, you know,
the lemonade. I could not understand
this. I loved its looks, its feel between the fingers, its scent of course, the
amazing fact that you could just pick and chew on the leaves, and they were
minty great. I loved the way it took
over.
In a paradoxical reversal, mint is actually now hard to
find. Yup, it’s been dug up. If you do
see it in the store—rarely—it is a sad flattened little bunch stifled and browning in a
plastic tray. Why is it that we can now have big bunches of cilantro, basil,
Italian parsley, and bushy gatherings of rosemary on a regular basis, but not
mint? I am guessing that it is something
that doesn’t really take to greenhouse cultivation. It wants to be wild—run
rampant. Most farming doesn't work like that these days.
So if you want it, you need to have your own taking over the
backyard, or live by a local farmer. Sometimes
you see it in international markets. But I know you know what I mean when I say
that making tabbouleh or anything else that calls for a good load of mint can
be a challenge.
Coll grows it, and is generous with it, as he is with his
other bunches of herbs (many herb prices in stores are, in a word, ridiculous).
The beetles have, apparently, been at it these past days, so when I arrived at the stand there was none out for sale. I really wanted some, so one of the farm stand
girls kindly went out and cut me some, picking through and harvesting the best
un-eaten stems. I got enough, and paid a dollar for it.
Thinking about the ahead-of-its time abundance and present-time
scarcity of mint quite naturally brought on a little food nostalgia. This salad is a reminder of the virtues of an
untidy summer lawn, shot through with marauding mint. Was there ever a more
effortless and neglected gift to the suburban table?
Jellied Mint, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad
The mint “jello” is superb: try it. It would also make, on
its own, a wonderful palate cleanser between courses or a light summer dessert
with some ripe berries and cream. Serves 3-4.
The jelly
1 big bunch of freshly picked mint, enough to for 1 cup
loosely packed chopped mint; reserve some nice leaves
for garnish
2 packages plain gelatin (and a little cold water to soften
it)
2 cups boiling water
2 T sugar
½ T maple syrup
1 tea freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tea salt
¼ cup mild vinegar (cider, white, or white wine)
¼ cup white wine (or use a ½ cup vinegar)
In a 1-qt saucepan, put the gelatin and add just enough cold
water to soften it; let it sit about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, stem the mint, stack
the leaves, and roughly slice/chop it. You will need about 1 cup, loosely
packed.
Add the boiling water, sugar, maple syrup, salt, lemon
juice, vinegar, and wine (if using) to the pan; keep it warm over medium-low
heat. Add the fresh mint, stir, and let it sit on the heat for 20 minutes or so,
stirring and tasting it occasionally. Add a little more sugar if needed. It
will taste a little acid at the beginning, but will mellow as it steeps.
Strain the mixture into a big measuring cup and discard the
leaves. Rinse a 9” or 10” pie plate with cold water. Pour the liquid into the pie plate and
refrigerate until set.
Dressing
Use any sweetish dressing you like. I used:
1 T finely minced sweet onion
¼ c olive oil (would have used vegetable oil, but had none)
2 T cider vinegar
3 tea maple syrup
¼ tea salt
1/8 tea black pepper
1 ½ T thick local heavy cream
To assemble the salad
The mint jello
1 medium nice local tomato
1 medium cucumber
The dressing
Mint leaves
Core and seed the tomato and the cucumber and chop them into
large dice. Turn the jelly out onto a board and dice it; if you have trouble
turning it out, cut the jelly into squares with a sharp knife in the pan, and
remove them with a spoon. Arrange the jello and vegetables on a plate. Nap with
a little whipped cream dressing and garnish with mint before serving; if you
can, set the salad in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill.
Labels:
gelatin,
jellied mint salad,
Little Compton,
Little Compton Mornings,
mint,
RI
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2 comments:
That sounds very interesting. I'm thinking of doing the mint jelly with watermelon, as I have heard that combo works well.
Sounds great to me; let me know how it turns out!
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