Six Mint Recipes :

• Goat Cheese with Mint
• Cucumber & Mint Sorbet
• Haloumi and Mint Bread
• Mint Sauce
• Minted Meatballs
• Sole with Mint and Cucumber

Makes 4 servings

• 6 oz goat cheese
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded
• 4 teaspoons chopped mint
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Press goat cheese through a nylon sieve into a bowl. Add milk, oil and lemon juice and blend well until mixture is smooth and creamy. Cut bell pepper in thin strips 2 inches long. Fold into cheese mixture with chopped mint. Season with salt and pepper.

Mold cheese mixture into a flat round 6-inch dish. Place on a serving plate, cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours to allow flavors to mingle.

Uncover cheese, garnish with mint sprigs and serve with crackers.

Note: This is a delicious starter which may alternatively be served at end of meal in place of cheese. For a more decorative effect, mold cheese in a heart or diamond shape.

Makes 6 servings

• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1 small pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large cucumbers, peeled, cored, finely grated
• salad vegetables, if desired

In a small bowl dissolve chicken bouillon granules in hot water. In a small bowl beat yogurt. Add mint and pepper.

Mix yogurt and cucumber with chicken bouillon. Pour into an ice cream canister. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions until almost firm. Transfer to a freezer container; cover. Place in freezer; freeze until firm.

FREEZER METHOD: Pour prepared mixture into several undivided trays. Place in freezer; freeze to a slush. Beat vigorously; cover. Freeze until firm.

Before serving, refrigerate for 15 minutes. Serve with salad vegetables, if desired.

Variation: Using a vegetable peeler or lemon squeezer, remove long strips of lemon rind. Place in a dish of ice water to crisp and curl; drain. To serve, arrange strips of rind around sorbet. Garnish with cucumber slices and mint leaves. Serve as a first course with a small salad.

Makes 1 loaf

• 3 teaspoons fresh yeast
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 oz haloumi cheese, diced
• 3 tablespoons chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Cream yeast with a little of the water and leave until frothy. Put flours and salt in a bowl, make a well in the center. Add yeast mixture, remaining water and oil and mix to a soft dough.

Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Put into a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea-towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450F (230C). Turn dough onto a floured surface and punch into a flat round. Put cheese and mint on top, fold over and knead for about 5 minutes, until it is well mixed in.

Shape into a circle and press out into an 8-inch round. Put on a floured baking sheet and make a cut 1-inch from the edge, right through to the bottom, all the way round. Brush with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes; lower temperature to 400F (200C) and bake for 20 minutes, until bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath.

Cool on a wire rack.

• 2 tablespoons superfine sugar, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons young, fresh mint leaves, washed, dried
• 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar or malt vinegar

To bring out mint flavor, sprinkle sugar over mint leaves.

Finely chop the mint and scrape mint and sugar into a bowl. Add boiling water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool a little, add vinegar, cover and refrigerate. Serve cold with lamb.

Makes about 12 tablespoons.

Makes 4 servings.

• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 can (14 oz/ 400 g) chopped tomatoes
• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
• grated rind of 1/2 large orange
• juice of 1/2 large orange
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
• 1 lb raw chicken, ground
• 8 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs
• 1 small egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• salt
• pepper
• vegetable oil, for frying

Into a blender or food processor, place onion, tomatoes, stock, orange rind and juice, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the chopped mint, the sugar and vinegar. Blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. In a large bowl, combine chicken with scallions, bread crumbs, egg, remaining mint, cumin, salt and pepper. Shape into 40 small meatballs. In a large nonstick pan, heat a little oil. Add meatballs; fry 6 to 8 minutes or until slightly browned all over. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Return meatballs to skillet. Spoon sauce over meatballs and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.

Serve on a bed of freshly cooked spaghetti, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garnish with mint sprigs.

Makes 4 servings.

• cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, cut into 2-inch/5 cm strips
• salt
• white pepper
• 4 sole fillets (6 oz/ 180 g each), skinned
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup fish stock
• 1/2 cup medium-dry white wine
• 3/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
• 5 mint leaves, torn
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
• mint leaves to garnish
• snow peas to serve

Put the cucumber strips Into a colander. Sprinkle with salt and let drain 30 minutes. Rinse and dry well with paper towels. Fold fillets in half, skinned side in. Into a skillet, place folded fillets with shallot. Add stock and wine and heat until just simmering. Poach 4 to 5 minutes, then transfer to a warm plate and cover to keep warm.

Add cucumber to poaching liquid, increase heat, and boil until liquid is reduced by three-quarters. Add creme fraiche or sour cream and boil until beginning to thicken. Add mint, salt, pepper, and juices collected on plate with fish. Simmer 3 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and gradually swirl in butter. Spoon sauce over fish. Serve garnished with mint leaves, accompanied by snow peas.

The history, cultivation and uses of mint.