I have a very vivid memory from my childhood involving mint. My aunt walked my siblings and me through her garden and had all of us try a fresh mint leaf. At the time, it tasted like nothing but toothpaste with an odd, chewy texture. Let’s just say I didn’t love it, and that unpleasant taste stayed on my tongue for quite some time afterwards. 

Now that I’m older – with a small, city-size garden of my own – I have much more appreciation for the bright, refreshing herb. Which is a good thing, considering it grows with a vengeance. This time of year, there’s so much of it that there is no guilt in plucking up several roots in order to make use of the aromatic herb in every recipe possible.

A typical go-to for mint in this gardener’s kitchen is cocktails. But sometimes, testing liquor-based recipes in the middle of the workday just doesn’t seem appropriate. And since most other herbs grown around this kitchen get turned into pesto, the only logical idea was to use this mint in its own pesto creation.

I love the crisp, peppery bite of a raw radish, and I honestly never thought to cook them. It turns out they completely transform when cooked, becoming sweeter and a bit earthier. My new favorite way to enjoy them is to simply sauté them in a little butter until they’re mostly tender but retain a little bite. 

I also don’t like to forget about the often tossed radish greens, which are the most nutritious part of the radish. This simple dish uses an entire bunch of radishes, combining cooked radishes and the radish greens with pasta. A little lemon juice brightens up the flavors and buttery panko breadcrumbs provide some nice texture.  The vibrant pink radishes against the greens make for a dish that’s as beautiful as it is tasty.

Heartfelt dedication and good beer are just two of the things that make up Mystic Brewery.

Located in Chelsea, this small brewery has quite the big story behind it. The brewery is dedicated to the memory of Mystic’s founder, Bryan's, father who worked hard to support his family.

Sadly, his father died from lymphoma just as he finally had the chance to relax in life. One of Bryan’s father’s favorite ways to relax was to enjoy a glass of beer with every family dinner.

Since it's located in the Mystic Valley, Mystic Brewery is appropriately named. Their line-up of beers includes malts, cordials, and abbeys, but the one thrown back for the sake of this article is the Saison Belgian-Style Farmhouse Ale.

Like all of Mystic's saisons, this seasonal brew is fermented with Renaud, their saison yeast. Clocking in at 7.0% ABV, the alcohol is a little on the heavier side, but its strength is hard to detect in its taste (read: sip slowly). Fresh lemon and herbal notes are apparent on the nose, while the finish possesses an almost peppery flavor. The brewers recommend enjoying this libation at 50 degrees, but this imbiber enjoyed it just fine straight from the refrigerator. Just be patient waiting for the foamy white head to go down before drinking.

The sleek exterior of Post 390 at the corner of Clarendon and Stuart Street opens up into a warm, inviting space offering equally warm and inviting cuisine. Post 390 is an urban tavern featuring seasonally inspired dishes from Chef Eric Brennan. Post 390 is part of the Himmel Hospitality Group (which also includes Grill 23 and Harvest). Himmel Hospitality Group emphasizes the highest quality food and service. This starts with their focus on quality ingredients and suppliers and extends through the staff in the restaurants. 

The food and drink at Post 390 reflects this focus. Menus change often to reflect the seasons and availability. Post 390 offers Farm to Post, a special series to highlight local producers and farmers. Farm to Post is a menu highlighting the product of a local farm or producer. The Farm to Post menu allows a larger restaurant like Post 390 to support the local food industry at a manageable scale. Featured producers over the series have included Kimball Fruit Farm (Massachusetts and New Hampshire), Ward’s Berry Farm (Massachusetts), and 5 Spoke Creamery (New York). I had the opportunity to attend the kickoff dinner for the latest Farm to Post menu featuring Cavendish Game Birds of Springfield, Vermont. The menu features inventive dishes from Chef Brennan utilizing quail from Cavendish Game Birds. 

Cavendish Game Birds is a family operation run by Bill and Rick Thompson. Since the early 1990s the brothers have been growing their business supplying high quality game birds and eggs across the United States. From their location in Springfield, Vermont the brothers manage all aspects of the process from breeding through processing. It is a surprisingly quick six weeks from hatchery to table. The Thompson brothers have spent many years breeding the Coturnix quail and the high standards and dedication of the Thompson brothers are reflected in the premium product they produce. Their facility includes a state of the art hatchery that produces 6,000 to 8,000 quail each week. Cavendish Game Birds’ quail is a light meat with a slightly sweet flavor. Streaks of fat under the skin keep the birds moist during cooking.