Asparagus may Introduce spring, but mint screams it. The perennial herb is among the first edible greens out of the ground, and it’s rampant enough to be considered a weed for those who aren’t fond of it. Team it with lamb and you have a model spring dish.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　Juice of 1 lime

　　1 garlic clove, peeled

　　One 1/2-inch-long piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

　　Fresh or dried chile to taste

　　1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt

　　1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

　　1 cup fresh mint leaves

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　4 shoulder or leg lamb chops or 12 rib or loin chops (about 1 pound)

　　

Step 1

Preheat a grill or broiler to moderately hot; put the rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, make the chutney: Combine the lime juice, garlic, ginger, chile, yogurt, and sugar in a food processor or blender and puree. Stir in the mint by hand, then add salt and pepper to taste.

　　

Step 3

When the chutney is ready, grill the chops for 3 to 4 minutes per side, by which time they will be medium-rare, or until they reach the desired degree of doneness. Serve the lamb chops with the chutney.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.