On the Table: Strawberries and Mint

My plants are doing wonderfully!  Especially the mint - it is just growing and growing and growing all over the place.

Here is the mint when I got it, just over a month ago:

And here it is now (and this photo was taken AFTER I removed a whole big branch to, well, eat it - see recipe below)!

It looks like it is trying to grow right out the window!

Same with the lavendar - it is awesome to see how it really grows right toward the sun.

The herbs have a non-edible sibling - an orchid - that has turned all its flowers towards the sun too.

I feel a little bad eating the plants after watching them grow, but I have to or they will take over the apartment!

I used some of the mint with some delightful strawberries, and they tasted just wonderful together.  To prepare:

Clean half a pound of strawberries and cut off their stems.  Thinly slice them.  Clean a handful of mint leaves and chiffonade them (stack the leaves, roll them up like a cigar, and cut them into thin slices).  Mix together the strawberries, mint, and a tablespoon of sugar in a bowl (you could leave out the sugar if you want something less sweet - or if you have super-sweet strawberries).  Stir well to combine and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to meld.

I used this mixture as a topping on yogurt (french vanilla, which I LOVED - it tasted much more vanilla-y than regular vanilla yogurt), and it was delicious.

The strawberries and mint would also be great on a salad, though I might leave out the sugar (or use less) in that case.

Enjoy!