Our garden is already bursting with spearmint, so what better ingredient to feature in this week's Weekend Herb Blogging.



Mint is an invasive perennial so it is recommended to contain it to a bed or in pots, but I love the aroma that wafts up while walking across the big carpet that grows in the center of our garden. However you grow it, or even if you buy fresh sprigs from the store, spearmint is a wonderful and versatile herb in the kitchen.

Kalyn, the genius behind Weekend Herb Blogging, has handed over the hosting job to Jai and Bee at Jugalbandi, an inspirational site that is full of beautiful photography and healthy, vegetarian recipes.




Fresh mint adds a dynamic flavor to this light Vietnamese salad of shredded cabbage, carrot and Poached chicken. In the heat of the summer it is one of our favorite dishes.

Chicken and Cabbage Salad ( Goi Ga)
serves 6

Dressing
1 small, red chile, minced (seeded if you don't want much heat)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce

Salad
1 whole chicken breast, with skin and bones, weighing about 3/4 pound
4 cups finely shredded Napa cabbage
1 medium sized carrot, peeled and shredded
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh mint, slivered
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, slivered
2 tablespoons chopped, unsalted and roasted peanuts (optional)

For the dressing:
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Set aside.

Place the chicken breast in a saucepan and cover with water.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat then lower heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Cook until chicken is opaque, about 20 minutes.
Remove to a plate and let cool.
When cool enough to handle, tear the meat off the bones in long, thin pieces and place in a large bowl.
Add the shredded cabbage, carrot, onion, mint and cilantro to the bowl with the chicken.
Pour the dressing over and mix everything together.
Serve, garnished with the optional peanuts.

The entire Weekend Herb Blogging round-up will be posted this Monday at Jugalbandi.