Mint

This C-food salad supplies the full RDA of infection-fighting vitamin C, which also helps you absorb iron from the octopus.

A spring herb butter makes the lamb fresh and lively. Be sure to reserve 1/4 cup of the butter for flavoring the Garland of Spring Vegetables .

Peeling spring's fleeting fresh fava beans takes some time, but the results are well worth the effort. You can blanch and peel the beans a day ahead.

The classic Kentucky cocktail is the inspiration for this light and lovely dish—which has just a hint of bourbon.

Fresh mint and sliced cucumbers give this American-style salad a lightness that leaves you feeling satisfied, not stuffed.

This no-cook quickie dinner is less than 18 percent fat. Dig in!

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jamie Oliver's book Jamie's Italy. I've always thought of crostini as small bruschette but this isn't completely correct, as they are usually made with white bread instead of sourdough. I'm told that in the old days the bread would have been so stale that it would have to be soaked in a little stock or juice to make it chewy and edible again, but don't worry. In this day and age you don't have to do this. In Italy they simply grill a half-inch slice of ciabatta, rub it with a cut clove of garlic, drizzle it with oil, and season it with salt and pepper.

This easy appetizer is packed with flavor. And since this is a Latin-themed party, don’t forget to set out a bowl of chips with your favorite salsa.

The cake is layered with dark chocolate ganache and white chocolate cream, then topped with marshmallowy peppermint frosting.

Pretty sundaes that have tons of mint flavor—in the fudge sauce, sugar topping, ice cream, and crumbled cookies.

This pretty salad gets its name from the long slices of zucchini, which resemble tagliatelle pasta. I like to mix in some fresh mint and lemon for a nice zip, cucumber and sweet onion for crunch, and pistachio oil for fabulous depth of flavor.

Dressing up jarred eggplant and canned tuna results in an incredibly lusty lunch. An easy tomato and mint salad spooned on top adds just the right touch of fresh acidity.

Quickly candied grapefruit peel adds a fresh zing.

Coconut milk adds surprising body and richness to the mint-lime mixture. If desired, reserve the lobster shells for stock.

A delicious balance of tangy, sweet, and spicy.

Fresh leaves give the classic lamb and mint sauce pairing a new twist. Great with jasmine rice and bok choy.

Mint gives delicious lift to the coconut flavors in this cake, which gets moistness from sweetened condensed milk and coconut cream.

Drink up and get a healthy dose of cancer-fighting lycopene.

Scallops are rich in iodine, essential to a healthy thyroid and metabolism.