Minty Fresh

So like anybody else who grows mint, I have it running rampant in the pot it's in. I purposely didn't put it in the ground since it will take over any space it is allowed to occupy. Just how many mojitos can I make with my lovely mint?? Especially since my husband doesn't like them...I need to have a mojito party!

But I have another way to use my mint -- and my basil for that matter. I make a cucumber-mint-basil smoothie. Here are the ingredients: Non-fat greek yogurt (or full fat if you want, it doesn't matter, I'm just trying to keep it healthy), non-fat buttermilk (or lowfat, same principle), cucumbers -- peeled and cut in cubes, some mint, some basil, some lemon juice, salt and pepper. You can adjust the ingredients as you like. Put all this yummy stuff in the blender and blend til as smooth as you want. I use the low setting so it doesn't totally pulverize right away because I like it a little lumpy/chunky. This is so, so good -- take my word for it -- and trust me, you will not taste the buttermilk if that grosses you out. It just adds a little tanginess, as does the lemon juice. But you can add regular milk if you want.

I also use my mint in marinades for meat, along with the basil. For some reason, this basil-mint combo is really good. And of course, I use the basil for so many other things, including our summer absolute favorite -- fresh mozzarella and tomato salad. We don't have any good local tomatoes yet, so I hold off on this one til August and September and even into October if it's warm and the tomato crop is heavy.

I took care of my kids' school's organic garden -- with the kids' help when they weren't running off to the playground or baseball field :) -- last week, and I brought home so many cucumbers that I had to give a bunch to my next door neighbors. But I have been enjoying my cucumber smoothies every day. I think I better go make one now.