Mint
This is a fabulous herb – expressive, yet versatile, cooling and also easy to cultivate (never plant in the ground though, otherwise it will take over your garden – always plant in a pot). To cool down in the summer, mint tea is actually surprisingly effective (or simply pop a few sprigs in a jug of water and keep in the fridge). Mint is still often seen adorning desserts – regardless of what the dessert actually is and whether the flavours complement each other! It does, however, work with many sweet dishes – mint and berries (try topping meringues with cream, strawberries and mint), mint and pineapple and, of course, mint and chocolate! Mint should not only be thought of as a dessert herb through. We are familiar with mint and lamb (roast lamb with mint sauce, lamb and mint kebabs, etc.), but there are many more options – add chopped mint to guacamole, serve with watermelon and feta in a refreshing salad, try making pea and mint fritters, pork and mint works well (especially in a cold leftover salad with barley or spelt), smokey grilled meats are crying out for a tangy mint dipping sauce and a pea and mint hummus is a great alternative to the plain version. Let’s not forget cocktails – mojito is a classic, mint julep another, but mint will work well in many sweet cocktails as it lightens them and brings a wonderfully refreshing note.