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| Spearmint (Mentha apicata) |
Let me introduce you to my “mojito farm”. We call it mojito farm because here we grow five different varieties of mint, all used to make classic
mojitos or colorful ones like the
peach and peppermint or the
blueberry and lavender. We also grow five varieties of basil, which we use to mix cutting edge mojitos, like the
strawberry or the
mango (and to make pesto, sauces and all kind of dishes, too!)
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| Yerbabuena (Mentha cu) |
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| Orange mint (Mentha piperita var. citrata) |
To be honest, calling this a “mojito farm” is an exaggeration. This is an herb garden. Here we grow oregano, rosemary, tarragon, chive, sage, stevia and two varieties of each of the following herbs: lavender, thyme and parsley.
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| Apple mint (Mentha suaveolens) |
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| Peppermint (Mentha piperita) |
We use them to create syrups like the mint, the rosemary and thyme, or the lavender one, all of them mostly devoted to our “mixology practice”. But honestly, we mostly use our herbs to cook our everyday meals. I just like to call it “mojito farm” because I am a mojito snob and I think mojito farm sounds really cool.
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| English thyme (Thymus vulgaris) |
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| French thyme (Thymus vulgaris) |
We started this herb garden with two wooden boxes in 2007. It has been growing since then. Not only because we love herbs and take good care of them. Also because we did something wrong. We first planted the mint with the rest of the herbs.
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| Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) |
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| Texas tarragon (Tagetes lucida) |
Mints spread all over and take control of whatever is in their way. If you plant them in the ground, they will take your grass too. So be very careful, because mints can come back even if you throw them away.
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| Spicy Globe Basil (Ocimum basilicum minimum) |
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| Boxwood basil (Ocimum basilicum) |
So, mints took over our first wooden planters. We learned our lesson and now we keep the mints confined to those wooden boxes by my kitchen and dining room windows. Because we love mojitos and smashes and mint juleps, this year we decide to experiment with more mint varieties.
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| Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) |
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| Thai basil (Thai ocimum basilicum) |
Last year, when we discovered the superb strawberry and basil mojito, we decided to plant a lot of basil: an herb I cannot live without. It makes memorable drinks and most important, it is a staple in the Italian and Mediterranean cuisines, which we all love so much.
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| Flat Italian parsley (Petroselinum crispum) |
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| Curled parsley (Petroselinum crispum) |
This year we built a double wide wooden box mostly for basil and parsley. Even if parsley is perennial it’s always a good idea to have plenty, especially if, like me, you love tabouleh.
Soy una escritora que cocina o una cocinera que escribe: el orden de los factores de no altera el producto. Desde 2010 hice de SAVOIR FAIRE el lugar donde convergen mis dos pasiones y ahora desarrollo recetas profesionalmente y trabajo como estratega y creadora de contenidos digitales, incluyendo la producción de videos de cocina. Disfruta mis recetas.
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