Moroccan mint tea

This tea can be made in a pot, but my mate Antonio makes his in a coffee plunger, and it looks good. The trick is to use green tea as well as mint. This gives the tea real ‘body’. For each person, allow 1 green tea bag plus two mint leaves, and a heaped teaspoon of sugar. Put all this into a coffee plunger, add boiling water then let it brew for 5 minutes. To serve, ‘plunge the coffee plunger’ and pour. If you want to do it the Moroccan way, use small coloured glasses decorated with silver or gold. This is a very refreshing drink at any time, but it’s an especially lovely way to finish up a meal, after dessert. Your designated driver will love it!

Mint Juleps

Sugar
Fresh mint leaves
Crushed ice
Bourbon
Drinking straw

First crush your ice. Put several ice cubes in a bag and whack them with a meat tenderiser or some other heavy utensil, until the ice is well crushed. Next, put a teaspoonful of sugar in the bottom of a glass, then add 2 or 3 mint leaves, crushing the leaves in your fingers before adding them to the glass. Next, add the crushed ice, filling the glass with ice. Then pour in some bourbon to taste. (Use a measuring jigger if you don’t want to overdo the bourbon). Finally, pop in a drinking straw, and enjoy in moderation.
Tips: go easy on the bourbon! The proper mint julep cup is metal, usually stainless steel. Some bartenders like to crush the mint leaves using a ‘muddle’, which is a bit like a pestle (as in mortar and pestle), then leave the mint leaves and the sugar to mix together for a few minutes, before adding the ice and bourbon.

Mint and tomato salad

Make a tomato salad using ripe tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, then sprinkle over some finely sliced shallots or spring onions and chopped mint leaves. Squeeze over just a little bit of lemon juice and an equally small sprinkle of sugar, then toss to combine. This is lovely as a side dish for all sorts of foods, ranging from Asian dishes served with rice, through to barbecues and Mediterranean-style seafood feasts. Goes with everything!

Tzatziki

1 Lebanese cucumber, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
500g plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
chopped mint, to garnish

Grate the cucumber then put into a sieve or strainer to drain for five minutes. Squeeze the cucumber so even more moisture comes out, then add to a bowl along with the garlic, yoghurt and chopped mint. Mix together the olive oil and vinegar to make a dressing, then stir this into the yoghurt. Cover and chill in the fridge for an hour or two to let the flavours combine. Use this as an entrée dip (with bread), or serve it as a side dish with spicy meats, barbecues, etc.
Note: I’ve gone easy on the garlic here. Lots of Greek cooks would add another clove or two of crushed garlic, but that’s probably an acquired taste for first-timers!