A very simple and tasty summer recipe, mint-marinated zucchini. A fragrant and fresh side dish with this special aromatic herb, mint.

Mint is indeed the month’s star for the ‘Herbs and Flowers on the Plate’ section, which we always happily participate in with fellow food bloggers.

Mint, as I was saying, who doesn’t have a little plant in their garden or backyard? What comes to mind when you smell peppermint? An after-dinner mint? I immediately think of Moroccan mint tea, so good and fragrant.

Mint is a natural remedy for slow digestion, bloating, irritable bowel, colds, low blood pressure, and fatigue.

The name mint comes from the Latin “mentis” meaning mind, as one of mint’s properties is its ability to stimulate and strengthen intellectual functions.

But there’s another version: The name “Mint” was coined by Gaius Plinius Secundus, a Roman naturalist. According to legend, the term derives from the Greek name “Μίνθη” (Minthe), a river nymph daughter of the god Cocytus, transformed into this herb by Persephone because she was jealous of the maiden’s beauty.

There are hundreds of varieties of mint, the most well-known being peppermint used in pharmacy and cosmetics, Moroccan mint, glacial mint, and milder mint, often used in cooking.

In 2004, peppermint was named “Medicinal Herb of the Year” by the “History of Medicinal Herbology” working group at the University of Würzburg, which chooses a deserving herb for this title each year.

In cosmetics and pharmacy, essential oil is usually used, but it is in the kitchen where it shines, and not just for making mojitos!! Especially in the summer, I often add it to salads and cold pasta dishes; I like to decorate desserts with mint leaves, and it works wonders in meatballs.

With zucchini, like in this case, it adds a delightful extra touch.

You can see some other recipes with mint here: