Things to Do With Mint

A quick and easy way to use up big quantities of mint. You can eat the gelato as is, or drop a scoop of it in ice tea, or do as the Italians do and have it for breakfast with a brioche.

Mint Granita
Active time: 15 min
Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr (includes freezing)

2 cups water
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup sugar*
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Garnish: fresh mint leaves

Bring water, mint, and sugar to a boil in a 1- to 2-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes.
Add lemon juice and pour through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing hard on solids and discarding them. Bring to room temperature and then refrigerate till cold.
Freeze mixture in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart shallow nonreactive metal container, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every 30 minutes, until evenly frozen, 2 to 3 hours. Scrape with a fork to lighten texture, crushing any lumps.
Spoon into glasses or bowls. Makes 4 servings.
(Recipe from Gourmet)

*Instead of sugar, I used stevia powder, following the measurement substitutions on the stevia package.