Plant a mojito garden

 

 

I’ve been telling everyone to plant mojito gardens and I didn’t think I even liked them. Then a friend brought over a batch and I had to admit, it was an attractive libation. I’ve been sharing bouquets of my neighbor’s mint and my friend grows her own.

When I give it to someone, I jokingly tell them they can root the mint in water, then plant it to grow their own mojito garden. Many seem to consider this option seriously.

This Cuban cocktail is named from “mojo,” a citrus marinade and -ito to mean little. It’s “a little wet,” is what I understand. White rum, sugar, lime juice, soda water and mint make it wet and flavorful. I liked what my friend served up. Good thing I’ve got more mint.

Getting Saucy

 Prune Sauce, Cucumber Sauce, Avocado Sauce and Lemon Mustard Sauce sound straightforward and the directions are easy. “The Book of Sauces,” by Gordon Grimsdale, makes it all look easy in a tall, slim 1986 book. It was on my Mom's shelf and I took it down for inspiration. I'm sharing this writing before I play around with some recipes: 

I'm sure Sauce Poulette is famous, with mushrooms and dry white wine. I was not familiar with it, nor an ingredient, a cup of Chicken Veloute sauce. It looks easy enough, but I’m not used to putting a sauce into a sauce. 

Parsley Sauce also calls for Bechamel Sauce as an ingredient.

 

Spicy Honey Sauce caught my eye. It actually calls for two thirds of a cup maple syrup and a third cup honey, with flavor from ground allspice, ground cinnamon and caraway seeds. This sounds like a classic brunch twist, suggested for pancakes, bananas or waffles. Serve it hot for that or cooler for an ice cream topping. 

 

If you’re into “plating” your meals, you’ve got to admit, a little sauce makes for a grand presentation. If you have a sauce to share, let me know!