I am no green thumb – my mom, however, is the ultimate green thumb. When we moved in with my step-dad 8 or so years ago, it wasn’t long before she had half of the backyard ripped up, tilled and planted into neatly filed garden rows. My summers since have been filled with delicious fresh tomatoes, mint, basil and so much more.
When they would travel for business, I would be responsible for keeping all of her greenery (and the fish) alive. The fish didn’t always make it, but I did manage to keep the plants alive for a few summers – rain storms also helped. Having an infinite supply of fresh mint and basil around the house every summer was great for baking, so when the time came for me to leave the nest last year, my mom made sure I was taken care of.
She gave me two pots last year – one with a few basil plants, one with a few mint plants. Before I knew it, they were both giant and flourishing and I had more than I knew what to do with! We ate basil with every meal last summer and I was making mint green tea about 3 times a week to try to keep up with my little garden.
This year, my mom made sure to take care of me again. When my grandparents returned to Harrisburg after Memorial Day, they delivered 3 beautiful pots full of basil, mint, and flowers fresh from Mom’s garden. I know one year I’ll have to start planting my own little garden, but for now, I enjoy letting mom work her green thumb magic.
My mint grew 5 times faster than I anticipated which lead me to this delicious recipe! High advisory: if you don’t like fresh mint, you won’t like this recipe. Unlike the traditional peppermint extract recipes, this recipe is a strong, fresh mint flavor.
