Fresh Mint

If basil is the taste of summer and sage is the taste of fall, I consider mint the quintessential spring herb. And it's one of my favorites. I love fresh mint year-round in salads, entrees and cocktails.

This week I'm featuring a number of mint dishes to enjoy during every meal course. Today I have a Watermelon and Watercress Salad with Prosciutto and Mint. Coming up I have Fava Beans with Shallots and Pecorino, Pasta with Mint Pesto, two classic mint cocktails (Mint Julep and Mojito) and, possibly, a minty sweet dessert to finish the week (Mint-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream).

Below are some of my favorite recipes with mint I've previously featured:

Salads: Vietnamese Chicken, Pea and Mint Salad finds the herb paired with other Asian flavors,  Celery and Peanut Salad turns the classic celery stick and peanut butter snack into a salad, Shaved Salad with Honey-Smoked Almonds and Lemon Vinaigrette tosses mint with raw shaved zucchini, and mint adds a nice flavor to Wilted Spinach and Bacon Salad.

Entrees: Asparagus and Snap Pea Pasta pairs mint with favorite spring vegetables in a great pasta dish, and Salmon with Tomatoes and Zucchini "Spaghetti" finds the herb flavoring a faux pasta.

Cocktails: The Django Unchained is an irreverent fiery take on the mint julep inspired by the recent film, and The Backyard cocktail was inspired by my childhood backyard, including mint and juniper.