Happy Fathers' Day and Happy Summer Solstice!

A Wiki Mint pic

Nothing says Fathers' Day or Summer Solstice quite like strawberries! Well we all know what Fathers' Day is but do we know what is meant by the Summer Solstice? (Sol=Sun) There are two solstices each year. The winter and the summer. The Summer Solstice, which is sometimes referred to as Midsummer Day, occurs at the end of June,usually around the 21st and it is the longest day of the year (and the shortest night). The Winter Solstice, on the other hand, is the shortest day of the year and thus the longest night (hence the candles) and occurs the end of December, usually around the 21st. Do you know when the days and nights are of equal lengths? That happens twice a year too.

Now on to our strawberries; they are so almost ready! But not quite, so no Strawberry Pie for Father's Day this year. So instead how about harvesting some spearmint and making a simple but delicious Chocolate-Mint Pudding with Whip Cream? Granted it's not Strawberry Pie but it'll be delicious all the same.

Now I don't know about you but my absolute favorite mint is Spearmint, Mentha spicata L. Up here in central Maine, at least for me, I have to treat this plant as an annual. If someone else gets theirs to come back every year please let me know how you do it! I also grow applemint because it's just so pretty and tall and the bees love it. It is however quite invasive so plant it well away from any other beds. As for peppermint, I do not like peppermint at all.

Chocolate-Mint Pudding and Whip Cream (from Cooking Light magazine)
3 Cups fat free milk
1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves ( I prefer Spearmint but probably any mint will do)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1/8 tsp salt
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten (get your eggs locally or at least from humane cage free chickens)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Mint sprigs

Heat milk over medium-high heat until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan (@ 180 F) - Do not let boil
Remove from heat and add mint leaves - let steep 15 minutes.
Strain and remove all plant pieces
Return milk to pan stir in sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt.
Return pan to medium heat; bring to a boil - gently! stirring constantly with a whisk until mixture thickens.

Place egg yolks in a medium bowl, gradually add half of hot milk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add egg mixture to pan; bring to boil, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute or until thick. Remove from heat; add vanilla and chocolate, stirring until chocolate melts. Pour pudding into a bowl; cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming. Chill

Whip Cream:
Whip heavy cream or whipping cream with dash of vanilla and good heaping soup spoon of confectioners sugar (or regular table sugar). Taste to be sure it's the sweetness you like. Whip until peaks form.
Chill.

Serve chocolate pudding in individual bowls with dollop of whip cream and sprig of fresh mint.

An optional idea - if you do have some strawberries I wonder how they would taste cut up in the chocolate pudding? I may mix some frozen raspberries from last year in a small bowls worth just to see how it tastes.

Enjoy! And again Happy Fathers' Day and Summer Solstice!