I don't mean mint sauce. The other day on Next Food Network Star one of the criticisms was that one of the aspiring stars used mint jelly in his dish. The judges said it had no business being used, and all of us wanted to know why it was even available if it was so bad.

Actually, I am against mint jelly. I never required it to enjoy a lovely piece of roast lamb. This summer I planted some mint in my yard here, and I have great hopes for future iced teas and who knows what all. Here are some mint recipes from the July 2004 Gourmet magazine.

Serve this chutney with sauteed scallops, grilled shrimp, or grilled lamb.

Fresh Mint Chutney
Makes about 2/3 cup.

1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 small fresh green serrano chile, coarsely chopped (1 - 1 1/2 tsp), including seeds for heat
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt

Coarsely puree all ingredients in a food processor. Best eaten the day it is made because the color will turn overnight. Keep chilled, covered.


Frozen Mint Lemonade
Makes 4 drinks.

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed fresh mint leaves
2 cups water
About 3 cups ice cubes, cracked if large
Garnish: 4 fresh mint sprigs

Blend the lemon juice, sugar, and mint leaves in a blender until the leaves are finely chopped and sugar is dissolved. Add water and enough ice cubes to fill the blender, then blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Limoncello and Mint Sparklers
Makes 6 servings.
1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1 cup chilled limoncello
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 cups chilled sparkling water

Combine mint and limincello in a bowl and gently bruise the mint with a wooden spoon to release flavor. Chill, covered, for 1 hour. Strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher, pressing firmly on the mint, and then discarding it. Just before serving, stir in lemon juice, sparkling water, and enough ice to fill the pitcher.

Homemade Limoncello

10 lemons
1 (750-ml) bottle vodka
3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.

Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.

Summer Fruit Salad with Mint Sugar
Makes 6 servings.

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 pound black berries, left whole, or 1 1/2 pounds sweet cherries, pitted and halved
3 firm-ripe medium peaches or nectarines, cut into 1/3 inch wedges
1/2 pound green grapes (1 1 /2 cups) halved

Pulse the mint and sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Sprinkle the mint sugar over the fruit in a large bowl and toss gently to combine. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.