Mmmint Pesto

The mints are a decidedly unfussy species. With a minimal set of growing conditions, they will spread as far as you let them – a clear reminder of nature’s abundance. They are happy in sun or partial shade; they are said to like moist, well-drained soil, but they seem to do just as well in heavy clay, wet drainage ditches by the side of the road, and my woodland paths. Of course, the more ideal the soil, the bigger they grow and the faster they spread. Thus, the usual advice is to confine mints to a secluded part of the yard. I find that easier said than done. So I let it ramble – within limits. I like abundance.

And although letting mint ramble began with my reluctance to throw out good food, it also appears to be useful. Mixing among other plants, it seems to reduce the damage from many insects that might otherwise find and eat leaves that I would prefer to eat myself. So I let the mint grow along the sides of my raised vegetable beds, under the kale transplants, and into some of foot paths, where it surprises guests when walked on. Fortunately, it is shallow rooted, and easy to yank out before it takes over completely.

My real challenge with mint has been what to do with it all. It stays bushy and attractive when picked; it gets scraggly when ignored. But, there’s only so much mint tea one can drink.

Then, the winter before last, my friend Audrey, whose mother’s family immigrated to the U.S. from Syria, offered me a taste of lentil soup with a spoonful of spearmint pesto to mix in. It turns out spearmint pesto is equally delicious on pasta, or spread on crackers or a fresh crusty bread. Problem solved.

Many people think of pesto only as the wonderful mid-summer paste of basil leaves, garlic, parmesan cheese, pine nuts and oil. But “pesto” merely means “pounded” in Italian, referring to the mortar and pestle traditionally used to pound the ingredients together. A wide variety of greens can be pounded into pesto. My favorites are two extremely easy-to-grow greens that are ready for harvest a month before the basil can even be safely transplanted outside.

Garlic green pesto is the earliest, in late April, a delicious start to the new season. The first small batch of spearmint pesto follows soon after. 

By now, we can add spearmint leaves to our daily salads, make tea after dinner, and still have plenty for pesto. This evening, I pulled out several handfuls that were threatening to overtake the beets, and several more handfuls from where I want to add two more cucumber transplants tomorrow. Ten minutes later, I had pesto. Paired with a just-picked salad, it was dinner.  

I use the same recipe for my garlic green and my mint pestos:

About 2 cups (packed) of washed greens
2/3 cups of olive oil
2/3 cups of parmesan cheese
2/3 cups of pine nuts and/or walnuts
Blend in a food processor (or pound in a pestle, if you prefer).

Audrey’s second indispensible tip: freeze leftover pesto in ice cube trays. Then pop them out, and store in bags. You can easily defrost exactly as many cubes as you need – for pasta, or those winter lentil soups.

Now if only I can find an equally satisfying use for the spreading peppermint.



Photos - Top: spearmint; middle: greens from last year's overlooked garlic; bottom: an after-dinner pot of spearmint/peppermint tea.