The Drying of Mint

It's really simple. No mixing, measuring, or adding. And yet, I almost missed the chance to enjoy our mint through the fall and winter. Right now, everything is in bloom. Bright purple flower abuzz with bees, and this is the wrong time to harvest. Luckily I started a couple of weeks ago. Last week, I took the bunches tied with string out of our shed and brought them into to be stored in jars.

Ironically (or perhaps not to those who know better), the mild spearmint has the stronger dried mint scent, while it is quite mild when fresh. The peppermint was quite a bit less potent. Perhaps I picked the wrong time to harvest them. That is always a possibility. But it is a joy to have fresh, um, dried mint for tea.

Apple Chutney Improvisation

Well it turns out that I couldn't make the "English" recipe for apple chutney, as "Allspice", apparently, does not exist in Belgium. And I didn't feel like using black peppercorns. So, I compromised and with the ginger added two cardamom pods and 4 or 5 cloves.

It didn't come out with chunks of apples, but rather like a purée. But we've already eaten the half jar extra as a condiment to burgers (lamb and veggie) and with potatoes. It is spicy and sweet with a hint of apple.

That same day, I had some red currants from a friend's garden. It wasn't enough for a pot, so I added some cherries. We just ate opened it today, and it has a lovely red-purple color and taste. The raspberry-currant one was a bit tastier, but we are not complaining. Here's to raspberries, currants and all things red.. combined with a bit of ginger and green apple!