Herbal Spotlight: Applemint, with Herb-Crusted Chevre & Applemint Vinaigrette Recipes

We inherited many botanical treasures with the purchase of this 1841 house & barn, but my favorite by far is the enormous patch of heirloom wooly applemint! It is truly a gift for us & for the bees. It flowers nonstop from mid-July on through to first frost, providing an unending supply for nectar for the bees & ‘minty-goodness’ for our family all through Summer & Fall. And, while the cultivars of Mentha suaveolens available now in nurseries grow about 20” tall, our heirloom strain grows Alice-In-Wonderland high--with some spikes hitting 6’ in height!  Our patch is pollinator & herbalist Heaven!​

Mentha suaveolens: botanical drawing

A beautiful & delicious herb, applemint has many fantastic culinary, medicinal & decorative properties. A nigh-invulnerable member of the mint family, applemint has a brighter, sweeter flavor than most mints. She is a tough one--& will gladly overrun an area if allowed free reign, so is best tucked aside or even grown in pots if that is not your aim. Applemint has been traditionally used for digestive issues, headaches & fevers, as an antiseptic [it's great on bee stings,] & for skincare. It is very high in nutrients like iron, potassium, calcium, & the powerful antioxidants Vitamins A & C. Applemint leaves have been shown to help in breaking down fat & accelerating metabolism level. It also provides a cooling effect to the skin when applied. Applemint is best used medicinally as tea [fresh or dried] or tinctured.

For culinary applications it can be enjoyed fresh in salads, sauces, candies, & drinks. Our family enjoys iced applemint tea with a bit of honey -- fabulously refreshing on a hot Summer day. I always tincture & dry large quantities to ensure we have access to it year round -- I even bring a pot of it inside & keep some growing fresh all Winter long! I wouldn’t be without it-- Indeed, it is a crucial ingredient in my very favorite salad, where I use it both in the dressing & in the baked goat cheese toppers! I will share the recipes for them here, focusing on each of the components individually. ​

My mountain of applemint-- easily over my head!

The flowers are tasty for you and the bees!

Cheese First:  Being somewhat [okay, completely] cheese-obssessed, of course there is a chevre topper on my favorite salad! These are heavenly & very easy to make. They store well for a day or two in the refrigerator, so can easily be made in advance & warmed before use. I took the basic recipe & technique from the classic Cook’s Illustrated method, but tweaked it, adding in pistachios & herbs, & reducing the oil for browning. The result? Perfect, flavorful compliments to the bold, herbaceous applemint vinaigrette! This recipe can easily be used with any other salad--Mix it up , changing the herbs &/or nuts used to create the perfect topper for your favorite salad. 

Herb-Crusted Baked Chevre [6 individual toppers]

4 Melba toasts, plain  
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 TBS Dijon mustard
1 TBS chopped pistachios
1/2 TBS minced fresh parsley
½ TBS chiffonade fresh apple mint
6 ounces goat cheese, firm
[optional: spray olive oil]

In food processor or mortar & pestle, process Melba toasts to rough crumbs, about 1 minute; transfer crumbs to medium bowl & stir in pepper & pistachios. Whisk eggs & mustard in medium bowl until combined. Combine herbs in another small bowl. Using a knife [or dental floss works really well for cutting chevre!] divide cheese into 6 evenly sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Add each to the egg mixture, turning each piece to cover; then roll each ball in the chopped herbs to coat lightly. 

Transfer each to Melba crumbs & roll, pressing crumbs gently into the cheese. Set them on a small baking sheet & gently flatten each ball into a disk about 1” thick with the heel of your hand. Place them in your freezer & freeze cheese until firm, about 20-30 minutes. Adjust oven rack to uppermost position; heat to 475 degrees. About 15 minutes before serving, remove tray from the freezer. Lightly spray tops of each topper with olive oil [if using] & place in the preheated oven. Bake until they are golden brown & the cheese is slightly soft, roughly 7 minutes. Using a thin metal spatula, transfer your toppers to a plate & cool 3 minutes before placing on your plated salads. You may also cool them completely & wrap in wax paper to store in your refrigerator for up to 2 days at this point.

Onto Dressing: This is a chunky, thick salad dressing, made with a full cup of fresh herbs. The unique flavor of the applemint plays nicely with the bright, acidic notes of the apple cider vinegar, adding just the right touch to this salad. We prefer this one on the tart side, adding very little olive oil so that vinegar keeps its bite. I have given quite the range of olive oil to add here, as not everyone wants it that sharp!  So head for the higher end of that range if you wish to tame it a bit!

Applemint Vinaigrette

1/2 cup Wooly Applemint Leaves, washed 
1/2 cup Flat-Leaf  Parsley Leaves, washed 
1 Shallot, peeled & rough chopped 
1/4 cup Honey 
4 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar  
4 - 8 TBS Olive Oil [to your taste] 
Salt & Pepper to taste

Add the herbs, honey, shallot, & vinegar to a food processor & blend to combine, pulsing to finely chop the herbs & incorporate them. Add olive oil & blend until emulsified. Add salt & pepper to taste. This will be a thick, extremely herbaceous salad dressing. It keeps bottled in the refrigerator for about 5 days.​

So thick it is almost a loose pesto...

For the salad: I like a simple salad with these, adding only cucumber & red onion to the mixed greens. The sweet notes of dried apricots & dates are the perfect foil for the tart acid & creamy cheese, & round out the flavor profile of the salad perfectly. I allot 2 apricots & 2 dates for each plated salad, cutting them all in half so I can arrange them nicely on top around the chevre topper.

Mix lettuces with vegetables, toss with the applemint dressing & arrange portions on individual plates. Place a chevre topper in the center of each plate.
Arrange 4 date halves in a cross pattern around the cheese, add 4 apricot halves in between them, prettily surrounding the chevre.
​enjoy!

There it is-- My very favorite salad! I hope this has inspired you to give applemint a try. I grow seven different kinds of mint, & it is absolutely my favorite. For tea, for cocktails, in the medicine-cabinet & in the kitchen, I find myself reaching for it again & again. For those unable to grow it themselves or just wanting to give it a try, we do offer it fresh for local pick-up, & dried for pick-up or shipping. I am even willing to share Applemint Tincture if you need some. [actually, think we will be launching a whole line of our tinctures in the future… STAY TUNED!]  I would love to hear how you are using it too-- Please share your own tips!  Until next time--