MINT - fresh 'n' green

• Mint, one of the most used herbs in cooking is the easiest to grow. You don't require a garden for this. All you need is some fresh mint and a really large tray of good fine soil. 
• Take some fresh young mint leaves with healthy roots .Trim  them into short sections and press them into the tray of moist soil.

• Cover the cuttings with a layer of compost and they will soon start to grow.

Some mint tips : 

• Add a few fresh mint leaves to pineapple  juice or lime juice.
• To cure stomach aches, put dried mint leaves in boiling water and when it cools ,drink it .
• Powdered mint leaves can be used to whiten teeth.
• Mint tea is a strong diuretic. It also aids in digestion.

• Mint chutney spread over bread along with butter makes a yummy sandwich
• Mint Chutney :Mint leaves  -  2 cup, Coriander leaves -  1  1/2 cups, Green chilly -  1, Ginger,chopped-  1/2 tsp, Lime juice-  1/2  tsp, Salt                                                                  Put all the above ingredients in a blender ,to make it into a paste. Mint chutney is ready.  You can have it with dosa , idli, roti or with any snack.                     -  

A LAND OF TOMATOES

When selecting tomatoes at the market , use your nose . Smell the blossom (not the stem) end.Select tomatoes that are round , full and feel heavy for their size ,with no bruises or blemishes . The skin should be taut and not shriveled . Store fresh ripe tomatoes in a cool , dark place, stem-side down and use within a few days. Refrigeration is the enemy of the tomato as it nullifies the flavour and turns the flesh mealy. (The culprit is a compound called Z-3 hexenel , which gives the tomato its scent and taste). If you must refrigerate the tomato , take it out before an hour before using it to let it return to room temperature to revive any lurking Z-3. To freeze , rinse and dry thoroughly . No peeling or blanching is required. Once thawed ,the skin will easily slip off. They willbe perfect for cooked dishes and will retain more of that fresh flavour , rather than the cooked , canned flavour .

More about tomatoes!!!!

The Mighty Tomato can help to fight cancer . Studies show that consuming a diet rich in tomato -based foods , decreases the risk of prostrate cancer.Lycopene , an antioxidant nutrient , found in large amount in tomatoes , may be responsible for this possible protective effect Nutritionists and other health professionals have long advocated the cancer preventative  benefits of a diet high in vegetables and fruits .Researchers suggest that tomato-based foods may be especially beneficial regarding prostrate cancer risk .Ofcourse, cancer risk is due to many factors and diet is only one of them . At this point it is too early to conclude that any food can prevent cancer .