Mint Lemonade Syrup or Summer Mint Punch

This recipe is from Lynn Sorensen. One of the original and continuing Veggie Coop Members. Makes enough for 10 - 12 people or reduce amount, based on mint available.

Ingredients
2 cups Sugar (can reduce if desired)
2 l/2 Cups Water
1 Cup Mint Leaves
Grated Peel of 1 orange
Juice of 1 oranges
Juice of 6 lemons

Directions
Cook water and sugar for 5 minutes. Cool and add the juices. Pour over the mint leaves. Let sand for 1 hour. Strain into your jar and keep in the refrigerator. Use l/2 cup of syrup for each glass. Fill glass with crushed ice and fill up glass with water. This is easy to make ahead and place in refrigerator. It also makes a good punch base, for that summer graduation or anniversary celebration. Add ginger ale and other juices as desired. Decorate with orange slices and/or mint leaves frozen into ice cubes.

Mint Sauce

Contributed by Veggie Co-op member, Willow Jackson.

 

Ingredients

 

Directions

Heat the vinegar and sugar until all the sugar has dissolved.

Pour vinegar/sugar mixture over the mint and let it sit for 1 hour. 

 

Note

It doesn't set like mint jelly, but it has a really nice fresh taste.  The contributor suggests this would be great with lamb.

Mynxhito (Lime Ricky Variant)

Contributed by Oz Rabinowitz, this non-alcoholic recipe is modified from www.artofthedrink.com (Mexican Mojito).

Ingredients

Mint Stalks 1– 2
Lime (wedges) cut into 1/8ths
Simple Syrup (1:1 - sugar: water)
Ice

Directions
Strip leaves from 1-2 mint stalks into a 12 oz glass.

Add 2 lime wedges. Add ½ oz simple syrup. Crush well with pestle (muddling).

Fill glass with ice. Top with club soda.

Pour back and forth into mixing glass (rolling) 2-3 times.

Garnish if desired.

Shanghai Duck

From Bill Dunlap, PhD. Psychology, Tulane University.

After we moved to St. John's, Mike went to New Orleans for a conference; he stayed with a psychologist friend and colleague. Bill was newly separated and divorced and cutting new ground - among his new interest was Gourmet Cooking. All we ever had at his house when we were in New Orleans were grilled hamburgers, or black-eyed peas and ham. He treated Mike to the wonderful Shanghai Duck dish and White Gazpacho. Bill died suddenly in 2000 of complications with diabetes and other things

Ingredients
1 duck 4-5 lbs.
1 big onion - cut in chunks
2 slices of ginger root
Several (I use 3) cloves of star anise
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs. dry sherry or white vermouth
3/4 cup soy sauce

Directions
In heavy pot or Dutch oven, put onions, ginger, anise and giblets & duck breast side down. Add sugar, sherry, soy & 1/2 cup water, cover lightly and simmer slowly l hour. (If cover is not tight, you may have to add 1/2 cup more water.) After first hour, turn duck breast side up. Cook 1/2 to l hour more until tender. Remove cover, skim fat from liquid, turn heat to medium and baste duck 15 min until dark brown and 1/2 to l cup liquid remains.

I have since learned to make this with chicken - whole, halved or pieces. Sometimes, if using pieces, I cook until tender, and then remove from bone, tossed with rice, with some of drippings and fold into a casserole. Trim edges with mandarin orange slices. Excellent potluck dish.