Mint is available all year round and at its best traverses three seasons. From late Spring through Summer into early Autumn. Where possible try and purchase your mint fresh from your local greengrocer. It will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

To celebrate mint's ability to be our friend during the warmer and the cooler months we thought we would look at two simple ways with mint.  Mint Chocolate and Classic Mojito.

Mint Chocolate.

Ingredients.

Fresh Mint

3 cups of fill cream milk

300gms of 70% cocoa chocolate

Method

Heat the milk in a saucepan until it just begins to boil.  Bruse 8-12 mint leaves with a pestle/muddler and add to the milk. Allow to steep for 10 minutes. Drain and bring the milk back to boil.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir or whisk until well combined. If you prefer a lighter chocolate use a steamer or a hand blender to froth the milk before adding the chocolate.

Servie with fresh mint and a cinamon stick.

enjoy.

Mojito.

Essentials.

• Highball Glass

• Muddler

Don't be confused by the muddler!

Invest in a good muddler/pestle and you will use it for alot more than the occassional mojito.  I have owned a couple in the past, you can buy them for around $15 for a timber muddler. While they are perfectly fine, they are porous so when you are crushing aromatics/herbs the volatile oils penetrate the timber, influencing the flavour. Over time this makes them difficult to clean and you will need to replace them more regularly. I currently use the Manhattan muddler that I purchased online for $35 from barware.

Ingredients.                             

60ml Rum

3 tbs raw sugar

12 mint leaves

3 small lime wedges

10ml soda water

Method.

Combine sugar, limes and mint in the highball glass and crush into a past using your muddler. Add rum and soda and fill with crushed ice. ( the crushed ice is important ) but for decoration I love to add some ice cubes with mint leaves frozen in them too! Combine well, add a sprig of mint.

enjoy.