My mother used to like to put a sprig of mint in iced tea. It's a Southern tradition, but I suppose an even more firmly rooted Southern tradition is the mint julep — that heady and potent concoction of sugar, mint leaves and bourbon. A friend tells me that if you drink mint juleps, you need to already be where you are going, cause they pack a wallop. Of course, the tradition is that mint juleps go with the running of the Kentucky Derby. I can see why. Sometimes the Derby is a grand and happy event. Other times, like this last week, I can see how a person might want to drown his sorrows and the memory of the ill-fated Eight Belles.
Mints (Mentha sp.) are easy to grow. They need a high pH, a warm sunny spot and deep fertile soil, and they like to be somewhat wet. I have seen beds of mint thriving under a drippy water spigot.
Photo by Jeff Abt |
The mint julep a classic of the American South.
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Mint spreads itself around by underground runners or rhyzomes. And they like to wander around a bed, once they're well established. If you'd like to grow mint, beg some underground runners from a friend or neighbor. Fertilize it regularly and keep it watered, and that is just about all it needs.
Many mints bloom in the fall of the year, which is an added plus. They come in several cultivars — curly mint (M.spicata crispa), orange mint (M. x piperita citrata), spearmint (M. x spicata), peppermint (M. x piperita) etc, even a chocolate mint (M. x piperita Chocolate) for you chocolate lovers. Just make sure you pick the foliage often and enjoy.
Mints are not only good in beverages, but they are good to cook with, as well. Here is a recipe from my wife.
Spicey Marinated Chicken
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint
1 tablespoon comino
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon regular oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 boned, chicken breasts, halved
Place first six ingredients in a food processor and pulse three to four times. Spread on chicken, place in a self-sealing bag, and refrigerate at least 15 minutes.
Heat grill. Remove chicken from bag, leaving marinade on. Place chicken on grill (or in the broiler) and cook 6 minutes on each side.
