THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507060058
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARY FLACHSENHAAR, SPECIAL TO SUNDAY FLAVOR
LENGTH: Long : 104 lines
USED TO BE when mint was called for in a recipe, it was almost always as a garnish. And often it was footnoted ``optional.''
The one-note approach to an herb that has many culinary uses was probably enough to turn those green leaves red.
In recent years, however, mint has enjoyed the respect it deserves in American kitchens.
The popularity of ethnic cooking is largely responsible. Mint provides a cool counterpoint to fiery Indian curries, to the chilies, garlic and cilantro that characterize Mediterranean cooking, to the pungent fish sauce that is a staple in Vietnamese cuisine.
Home cooks who have done nothing more daring than top a fruit cup with a mint leaf or spoon mint jelly alongside a lamb chop are in for some sweet and savory surprises.
Mint is integral, not optional, in many of the contemporary versions of age-old ethnic dishes. Some recipes call for a Himalayan mountain of fresh leaves. To omit them would be tantamount to leaving basil out of pesto.
The scent of mint is also strong on the Hampton Roads restaurant circuit.
Ten or 12 pounds of fresh and dried mint are always on hand in the kitchen of Azar's Natural Foods Market and Cafe in Virginia Beach. Mint is used generously in many of the Mediterranean dishes that are the cafe's specialty, among them, cold yogurt soup, stuffed grape leaves and marinated sun-dried tomatoes.
A specialty at the Tabouli restaurant in Norfolk is rose mint tea made from brewed mint leaves and a dash of rose water, chilled and served over ice. It makes a refreshing accompaniment to the restaurant's Middle Eastern entrees, such as tabbouleh (a cracked-wheat salad laced with mint), or a peasant roll (pita bread stuffed with feta cheese, cucumber slices and mint leaves).
At Croaker's seafood and steak restaurant on Shore Drive in Virginia Beach, mint is the eyebrow-raising ingredient in the simple house salad dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Restaurant owner Barry John grows and dries the mint he whisks into his popular dressing.
Spearmint is the mint most often served at local restaurants and sold fresh and dried at supermarkets and health-food stores. But there are 600 known varieties of mint, according to ``The Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices, and Flavorings'' by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz (Dorling Kindersley Inc., 1992). Flavors and scents are distinct, yet many mints make acceptable substitutes for others, the author says.
Peppermint, with its strong aroma and flavor, is better suited to sweets and rarely found in savory dishes in this part of the world. Apple mint and pineapple mint are fine understudies for spearmint, which is milder than peppermint and widely used in main dishes, teas and mint juleps.
At Rob's Garden Shoppe in Virginia Beach, manager Audrey Salzman sells pots of fresh spearmint and peppermint, along with orange, grapefruit and chocolate mints. She suggests ways to cook with mint to her customers and also points out the many medicinal uses of this perennial herb. Mint is an excellent natural remedy for indigestion, motion sickness and the common cold, Salzman said.
``I also like to hang a sprig in the bathroom or car to freshen the air,'' she said.
Yes, mint is much more than a garnish, according to horticulturist Lauren Gehman, who teaches growing, harvesting and using herbs at Norfolk's Fred Heutte Center. Fresh mint leaves can add flavor to oils, vinegars and butters, and can be used in potpourri and even facial astringents, she said. In her home kitchen, Gehman likes to tuck the fresh leaves into salads and make tea out of crushed leaves.
Gehman wraps fresh-picked mint leaves in paper towels, puts them into a plastic bag and stores them in the refrigerator for up to a week. She said her mother kept fresh leaves in a Mason jar of water on the kitchen counter.
If you grow your own mint, Gehman warned, you may have to harvest it often.
``Mint tends to be invasive and incestuous and can take over a garden,'' she said. ``Put different varieties too close to each other and they'll crossbreed.''
This tendency to friskiness might have its root in Greek mythology. Supposedly mint was once the nymph Mentha, who tempted Pluto. This angered Pluto's wife Persephone so much she turned the nymph into an herb.
Thank you, Persephone. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
BILL TIERNAN/Staff
Mint is integral in many contemporary versions of old ethnic
dishes.
Graphic
MORE MINT HINTS
Add crumbled fresh mint leaves to the coals when grilling fish or
chicken.
Nibble a mint leaf to freshen breath.
Add crumbled fresh or dried mint to fruit salsas to accompany meat,
chicken or fish.
When baking apples, add minced fresh or dried mint to the sugar and
raisin filling for the apple core.
Sprinkle a handful of chopped fresh mint into a grated carrot
salad.
When converting from dry to fresh mint, use three times as much
fresh as dry.
- Mary Flachsenhaar
by CNB