Tuesday 8 May 2007

Marvellous Mint

There is the most divine green grocer in the little town that I come from- it makes you feel hungry just to look in the window. As well as fruit and vegetables, they sell Tiptree Jam from just down the road, Tillingham Eggs, and divine local ice cream.

They charge 10p for a reusable bag which I like, and small things come in brown paper bags twisted over at the top. Somehow all the fruit and veg just looks tastier than that at the supermarket. Perhaps because it is not all drowned in plastic, and the peppers are nobbly and the bananas bendy? Really I think that when it comes to fruit and vegetables, the uglier the better!

I was in town as I had to visit the doctors with an earache, and on the way back to the bus stop, I really fancied a treat to cheer myself up. So in I went, and was immediately captivated by some pebbley Cornish new potatoes. Now to me, one of the joys of cooking is having nutmeg for your rice pudding, a pinch of cinnamon in your cocoa and so on, so I asked, on the offchance if they had any mint. Well they did, a poor wilted bunch- but I have decided that it was quite the best buy of the day.

When I got it home, I sat it in a glass of cool water so it could have a good long drink, and then plunged it in some icy water for a few minutes before spinning it dry in my salad spinner, and then sat it in a glass of water again. It perked up remarkably well, and is still sitting like a glorious bouquet on my windowsill.

Now, aprons on please, and off to the kitchen, bunch of mint in hand, if you will, to make the most delectable sandwich imaginable!

Two slices of bread, granary is my preference, but please, squishy soft real bread, no dry plastic stuff! Spread each slice with cool cream cheese, not as thin as butter, but not too thick either. Rip five or six mint leaves, and scatter over one slice of bread-and-cream-cheese. Thinly slice some cucumber to lay over the other slice, then press the two together, cut into dainty triangles, serve on your favourite vintage plate (mine has love-in-a-mist round the border!) and enjoy….

Perhaps next time I post I will share my recipe for a minty fresh mojito- my favourite drink in the world! (Apart from tea, of course)!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It sounds lovely Mimi! I will give it a go, we have plenty of mint thriving in the garden, I thought it'd died, it hadn't - it'd just sent runners out and moved a foot from the original plant! Typical! An independent mint!

We also have some cologne mint, which whilst isn't any good for eating, it smells divine and works wonders for hot, achy feet in a footbath (or a regular bath, for that matter!).