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MINT RECIPES
Herbal lemonades are a refreshing summer drink, and a wonderful way to sneak some nutritious greens into the family’s diet. 4 cups fresh mint, chopped 1 gallon water 2 cups honey (1 lb) 1 ½ cups lemon juice
1. Gently simmer chopped mint leaves in a covered pot for 10 minutes. (Note: Covering your pot with a tight-fitting lid prevents evaporation of the volatile, aromatic oils in mint, keeping the flavor more intact) 2. Add honey, stirring until it dissolves. 3. Cover and let steep and cool for several hours or overnight. (This makes a strong, potent tea, maximizing the calcium and other nutrients in the mint.) 4. Add lemon juice and chill in the fridge. Mints make a classy lemonade, but this same recipe can be made using any mild, nutritive herb. Some of my favorites to make lemonade with are Red Clover, Lemon Balm and Comfrey.
You can make a healthy alternative to soda that actually nourishes your children (and yourself) rather than the sugar/caffeine beverages that so many are hooked on. Herbal sodas are made by making a full-strength infusion, adding enough honey to make it syrupy-sweet, and then adding sparkling, carbonated water. Sparkling Mint Lemonade is made by following the above recipe for Mint lemonade. For a sweeter soda, increase the honey to 3 cups. Chill, then add 1 cup sparkling water for every cup of Mint lemonade. Mix the carbonated water in right before serving so it doesn’t go flat.
4 cups fresh Mint, chopped 1 gallon water 1 cups honey
1. Gently simmer chopped Mint leaves in a covered pot for 10 minutes. (Note: Covering your pot with a tight-fitting lid prevents evaporation of the volatile, aromatic oils in mint, keeping the flavor more intact) 2. Add honey, stirring until it dissolves. 3. Cover and let steep and cool for several hours or overnight. (This makes a strong, potent tea, maximizing the calcium and other nutrients in the mint.) 4. Chill overnight. Serve in a tall glass with ice. Float a fresh Mint leaf for a garnish for those special occasions.
This is a wonderful summer salad to make during the late summer when the tomatoes and cucumbers are fresh on the vine, but it’s great anytime even if you have to buy your vegetables. 1 cup dry bulgur, (Can substitute rice, quinoa or other grain) ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup lemon juice ¾ cup wild greens or substitute ¾ cup parsley ¾ cup fresh Mint 1 clove garlic ¼ cup minced green onions 1 cucumber 1 large tomato ½ cup chopped olives 1-1½ tsp salt
1. Cook bulgur or other grain. Cool, and chill thoroughly. 2. Mix olive oil, lemon juice and salt into the bulgur so that all the grain is evenly coated. 3. Dice the cucumbers and tomato, and mince the green onions, chop the olives. 4. Chop wild greens (parsley), Mint, and garlic (I use a food processor) so that they are finely minced. 5. Mix all the prepped ingredients into the bulgur. 6. Serve chilled. For the wild greens you can use Lambsquarters, Purslane, Chickweed, Violet leaves, or any green that is mild and tender. Garden greens ,parsley or cilantro work fine as well.
2 large cucumbers ½ cup minced red onion or chives 1 cup plain yoghurt 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 tsp vinegar ½ tsp salt ½ tsp coarse-ground black pepper 2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped fine
1. Slice the cucumbers in either thin rounds or half-moons. 2. Mix with the minced onions. 3. Blend yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, and mint together. 4. Toss dressing with cucumbers and onions and serve immediately. Make this recipe in small batches. If left to sit overnight it gets watery, so try to make just enough for a meal, and toss the dressing just before serving.
This is one of those yummy, wholesome salad recipes that is endlessly adaptable. Once you have the right proportions of lentils, olive oil, lemon juice and salt you can freely improvise the rest of the recipe. 4 cups lentils, cooked (2 cups dry) ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup lemon juice ½ tsp salt ½ cup fresh Mint, minced 1 medium tomato 1/3 cup minced red onion ¾ cup chopped walnut ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled ½ cup chopped olives
1. Chop, dice and mince, and toss all the above ingredients together. 2. Don’t be afraid to add a few other odds and ends you might have in the fridge, this recipe is very flexible. 3. You can add 1 cup mild wild greens, chopped fine in a food processor to boost up the nutritional value. Try Chickweed, Violet leaves, Lambsquarters, or Purslane. You could also substitute parsley or cilantro for the wild greens.
2 cups Violet leaves, cut into thin ribbons 1 carrot, grated 1 cup Mint leaves, chopped fine or minced in food processor 1 cup dried fruit (choice of raisins, dates, craisins, currants, apricot) 1 cup walnuts 1 cup Violet blossoms Toss everything together and top with your favorite dressing. Try it with Creamy Violet dressing for a total Violet experience!
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