Mint

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Dried mint makes the best tea. To dry your own, gather stems in early summer, before plants flower or become stressed by hot weather. Tie the stems in small bunches and hang them in a warm, dark place or arrange the loose stems on a cookie sheet and bake in a slow oven (150 degrees) until dry. Store cooled, dried mint leaves whole in airtight containers; when you’re ready to use them, just crumble the amount you need.

Growing Your Own

Spearmints usually are more vigorous than peppermints, but both are eager plants that spread by sending out wandering shoots, which grow a couple of inches below the soil’s surface. For this reason, many gardeners prefer to grow them in containers or in small beds where their spread can be checked.

Hardy to Zone 5 and accepting of either full sun or partial shade, mints are one of the first plants to start growing in spring. They flower in midsummer and, if you prune them back after flowering, and give adequate water and fertilizer, they will regrow by fall.

If your winters are too cold for mints to stay outdoors, you can grow them in containers that are moved into a cool room in late fall and watered occasionally through the winter.

The best-flavored mints are hybrids, which means they do not produce true seeds and must be propagated vegetatively to ensure good flavor is retained. Buy new plants from a nursery, beg rooted starts from a friend or root some fresh sprigs you buy in the grocery store.

Tabouli

Perfect for picnics or in wraps and pitas, tabouli is a nutritious, fresh-tasting salad. This method steams the onions, bringing out their sweetness and softening their crunch. The lemony-tart leaves of French sorrel, if you have it, are a terrific addition; a sprinkling of feta cheese and black olives makes a main course.

2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup bulgur wheat (medium or fine)
1/2 large cucumber, peeled and diced
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 cup parsley, minced
1/2 cup mint, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice, (about 1 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the onion, garlic and bulgur, and stir. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside for 20 minutes. In a large bowl, gently mix the cucumber, tomato, parsley and mint. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper; pour the dressing over the cucumber-tomato mixture and toss. Fluff the bulgur mixture with a fork and gently mix it with the other ingredients. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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