Mint Ice Food

FRESH MINT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Put the milk, salt, sugar and 1 cup of the heavy cream in a pot and heat over medium-low heat, stirring often, until everything combines. Add the mint leaves and stir to get them all wilted in the hot milk. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let the milk return to room temperature. When it hits room temperature, chill overnight in the fridge.
• The next day, strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve. It's OK if a few tiny mint leaf specks get in there. Reheat the mixture over medium-low heat. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. In another bowl, pour in the other cup of heavy cream and set the fine-meshed strainer over it.
• When the mint-cream mixture is hot, about 150°F, you are ready to temper your eggs. With one hand whisking the eggs, slowly pour in a ladle of the hot cream. Do this three times total, whisking and pouring the whole way. Then pour the egg-cream mixture into the pot and stir to combine.
• Cook the mixture slowly, stirring often, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 160°F. Pour it through the strainer into the bowl with the other cup of heavy cream; doing it this way cools the mixture quickly. Chill everything down and churn according to your ice cream maker's directions.

MINT ICED TEA

Steps:

• Brew tea in boiling water, letting steep for 10 minutes. Pour brewed tea into a serving pitcher. Add sugar and lemon, and swirl in the mint, holding it by the stems and using it to stir and dissolve the sugar. When sugar is dissolved, drop mint into pitcher and add 2 cups cold water. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Strain mint out before serving and serve cold.

MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE MINT LEMONADE (LIMONANA)

Steps:

• Add all the ingredients to the pitcher of a high-quality blender. Cover and push blend or liquefy (high-speed function), until you achieve the desired drink consistency.
• Taste and add more sugar or mint leaves, if you like. Blend again.
• Pour the lemonade into a serving pitcher through a mesh strainer. Add fresh mint leaves to the pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
• If you like, strain the lemonade again as you pour into serving glasses. Enjoy cold!

MINT ICE CUBES

Steps:

• Place 2 to 3 mint leaves into each cell of a heatproof ice cube tray. Fill the cells with the boiling water, then let stand for 10 minutes; remove the leaves if desired. Freeze the ice cube tray until solid.

ICED SWEET MINT TEA

Steps:

• In large tea pot (or two small tea pots) pour boiling water over tea bags and mint and allow to steep for 20 minutes.
• Place sugar in 2-quart pitcher (that will tolerate some heat).
• Pour freshly brewed tea (minus mint and tea bags) into sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.
• Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
• To serve, pour into tall glasses over ice.
• Serve with lemon slices.
• Serves 8.

TOUCH-OF-MINT ICED TEA

Steps:

• In a heat-proof bowl or pitcher, pour boiling water over tea bags; cover and steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Cool for 15 minutes. Add mint; steep for 5 minutes. Strain. Add lemonade concentrate; stir well. Refrigerate. Serve over ice; garnish with lemon and mint if desired.