What a wonderful time of the year this is. The earth is coming to life again and all those plants we had forgotten about are bursting into leaf.
Mint has already arrived and should be celebrated by adding it to salads and using it to create home made mint sauce to go with the delicious spring lamb now available at Eynsham’s butchers.
I am not going to give exact measures for this recipe, because you don’t need them.
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First pick a bunch of mint - don’t be frightened of pinching off the tops of those new shoots that are pushing their way through the earth - if this warm weather continues the plant will repair this damage within days.
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Remove the stalk and place the leaves on a clean chopping board.
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Sprinkle about half a teaspoon of granulated sugar on top of the leaves, and chop sugar and leaves together until the leaves are chopped fine.
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Place the chopped leaves and sugar in a small bowl and add about a dessert spoon of boiling water, stir, then add enough vinegar to taste.
That’s all. This is not only a tastier option - it is far cheaper than buying ready-made mint sauce.