In general I don’t care for commercially made strawberry ice cream- but the homemade stuff- that’s another thing altogether.  I bought a pound of organic strawberries and found a recipe for no-cook strawberry ice cream in Gourmet August 2009 -which I just slightly adjusted. Here is the original at Epicurious for Perfect No-Cook Strawberry Ice Cream if you want it.Mmmmm. Good…

We don’t eat conventional strawberries anymore since they are one of the crops most heavily sprayed with pesticides and they are way too delicate to scrub or peel. I think the organic ones taste better too- just my preference. So go organic if you can when you go for this frozen treat.

Frozen Strawberries and Cream

• 16 ounce container of organic strawberries, washed, topped and cut up
• 2/3 cup Vanilla Sugar*
• large pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups organic  heavy cream

Mash the strawberries and sugar with a potato masher in a medium sized bowl.  Add the lemon juice, salt and vanilla extract. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to macerate. Place 1/2 of the strawberry mixture into a blender with the cream. Blend until smooth. You’ll need to decide if you want larger bits of strawberry in your ice cream which freeze harder and can make a textural difference. Or if you want it all creamy process all of the strawberries in two batches using half of the cream in each batch.

 Cover and chill for about 4 hours or overnight. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. I use an inexpensive Rival churn type machine that you add ice and rock salt to. I have a Cuisinart too that utilizes a prefrozen tub but I never have freezer space to donate to the cylinders and also I think they take longer and don’t freeze as well since the cylinder starts warming as soon as you remove it from the freezer where with the old fashioned type you are making it colder as you go.

Either way once it is at a  softly frozen stage remove it to a carton and freeze to firm if you haven’t devoured it all before you can get it there.  I buy quart and pint sized ice cream cartons with lids at my local restaurant supply store.  This recipe makes a little more than a quart.

* For Vanilla sugar- we always have a container of this on the counter for coffee etc.  No need to use a pristine bean for this. Just quickly rinse and wipe your beans clean after using  them for infusing cream or whatever in another recipe and place them in an airtight jar. Cover with granulated sugar and let sit. Even a couple of hours makes the sugar infused with vanilla goodness. Just add whatever beans you have as you use them and top off with sugar to replace any you take out. You will have a perpetual supply of the good stuff. I use it whenever I want that little extra burst of vanilla flavour.

Enjoy!

So we have two salads, ham and green onion biscuits, a  crustless quiche and a coconut cake… here’s the first:

Spring Mix Salad with Mint, Raspberries and Pecans

• 8 to 10 cups of the freshest spring mix baby greens you can find- washed , spun dry, dry , dry and held in a bowl with paper towels or a clean tea towel in your fridge. If you don’t grow your own and you buy the prewashed kind- wash and dry them anyway to refresh and make sure they’re clean, clean, clean!
• 2 cups fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
• 2 cups fresh raspberries
• 2 cups spiced pecans (make extra from previous recipe)
• small handful of shelled pinenuts
• handful of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
•  1 large shallot, minced
• 4 Tablespoons White Balsamic Raspberry Blush Vinegar
• 1/2 cup walnut oil or olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

In the bottom of your salad bowl put the minced shallot and whisk in the Dijon mustard and a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, add the vinegar and then slowly whisk in the oil to make a dressing. Add the other ingredients to the bowl and then gently turn them in the dressing when it is time to serve.  Note: Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette Dressing  works great as a salad dressing for this if you don’t feel like  making your own.

Garden Rice Salad with Tomatoes, Peas and Herbs

This makes a huge salad for a party feel free to halve it and you’ll still have a lot of salad.

• 2 Cups Wild rice blend cooked covered with 4 Cups water (or chicken stock if you’re not feeding vegetarians) and a little salt, just until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente (about 45 minutes) a rice cooker works well here.
• 2 cups marinated artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
• reserve 4 Tablespoons of the marinade the artichoke hearts come in
• 2 cups new spring peas, fresh or frozen cooked and chilled
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 bunches of green onions, washed well, trimmed and chopped
• 2 pints of grape or cherry tomatoes, washed well and halved
• 1 cup combined fresh Oregano, Marjoram and Garlic Chives, minced
• 1 cup toasted almonds
• Dressing
• 1 cup of good flavoured olive oil
• 1/2 cup of Champagne Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 cloves minced garlic

Mix all of the dressing ingredients together in a pint glass jar, shake well and then store in the fridge until ready to use. Mix the cooked rice, artichoke hearts plus their marinade, peas, green pepper, green onion and tomatoes and herbs in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss gently. Top with the toasted almonds.

Green Onion Buttermilk Biscuits with Bourbon Glazed Ham

Biscuits

• 2 green onions, minced

• 2 Tablespoons Butter

• 2 Cups all purpose flour

• 3 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) COLD butter

• 3/4 Cup Buttermilk

Cook the green onions in 2 Tablespoons of butter until they are soft, set aside to cool. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt  together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs with a few pea sized pieces left. Make a well in the center and add the cold buttermilk and the cooled green onions. Mix just until a rough dough forms then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly just until it comes together enough to pat into a 1/2 thick square. Cut into 8 or 16 squares depending on how big you want your biscuits to be. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush each with a little buttermilk  and put into a preheated 425F oven for anywher from 12- 20 minutes depending on how big you cut the biscuits. They should be lightly golden brown and well risen.

Bourbon Glazed Ham

• Spiral Cut and Smoked half ham, about 7 pounds

• 1/2 cup good quality Bourbon

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

I didn’t feel like heating my oven but you can do this in the oven or on the barbecue grill. For the grill wrap the ham in two thicknesses of heavy duty aluminum foil and place on a preheated grill that has been turned to low heat or on the low side of the coals. Cover and bake for about an hour and a half or until the internal temperature is 140F. Mix together the Bourbon, brown sugar and mustard and open the foil a bit on top to glaze the ham. Bake for another 20 minutes  and then remove and let rest in the foil. Place thin sliced between  a split green onion biscuit. You’ll have lots of ham left over for other meals.Mmmm.

Crustless Fresh Crab and Green Chile Quiche

• 6 eggs

• 8 ounces cream cheese

• 1  (24) ounce carton small curd cottage cheese

• 1/2 cup softened butter

• 1/2 all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 Cup milk

• 3 Cups grated Cheese- I use cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss and provolone mixed

• 1 pound fresh lump crab such as Phillips from the refrigerated section, picked over for shell and cartilage or pick your own fresh crab lots of work though

• 1/2 cup minced green onion

• 2 small cans minced green chiles, drained well

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a glass 9 x13 baking dish, set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the eggs. Mix in the cream cheese, cottage cheese and butter until fairly smooth. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Add to the egg mixture and blend well. Add milk  and beat for a minute or two. Pour into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the crab meat, cheese, green onions and chiles over the top. Bake for about and hour and a half or until set through to the center.

Coconut Cake with Brambleberry Jam and Candied Violets

• 1/2 cup softened butter

• 1-1/2 Cups granulated sugar

• 1 cup of good quality canned coconut milk

• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

• 2-1/4 Cups cake flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 4 egg whites

• Frosting, recipe below

• 1 jar brambleberry or seedless blackberry or raspberry jam

• about 2-3 cups of shredded coconut ( I like Bob’s Red Mill large unsweetened shredded coconut)

• Candied Violets for decoration or other edible sugared flowers see how to make in my previous post here.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease, flour and place a parchment circle in the bottom of three 9 inch round cake pans. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Slowly add the coconut milk and beat in well. Add the vanilla and mix well. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, add all at once to the creamed mixture. Beat until combined. Add the egg whites and beat just until smooth. Do not overbeat. divide the batter evenly to the three cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until a tester in the center comes out clean. Cool for five minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack and cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

• 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour

• 1 cup milk

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon coconut or lemon extract, depending on what flavour you like

Cook the flour and milk together over medium low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Let cool. When cool Beat the remaining ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle mix in the cooled flour/milk  mixture and beat for about fifteen minutes or until fluffy.

To assemble cake, place a layer on your serving plate or a cardboard cake round and top with 1/2 cup of jam then frosting, repeat with second round, top with third round and then frost top and sides with remaining frosting, press shredded coconut into the frosting all around and then top with a  ring of  candied violets. Served with Spotted Dog Creamery Huckleberry Chip Ice Cream. Mmmm.

Spotted Dog Creamery is my favourite locally owned, small batch artisan ice cream maker. John, the chef/owner, is passionate about his product (and many other good causes) He is fighting for shelf space with the huge industrial ice cream giants. So go local- support small business and be sure to try his marvelous creations anywhere and anytime you can find them AND  be sure to ask for them at your local market if you’re in the area.

So that’s it- the last of the book club feast for this year and I’m on to July and my birthday tomorrow

We’re going to the Salt Lake Bees baseball game tonight -they’re playing the Sacramento Rivercats -go Bees! Rick is making my birthday cake as usual  (thanks sweetie!)- this year I picked a Mexican Chocolate Pecan Cake can’t wait….

xoxo

Recently, I made an “Ibarra Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream.”

I think I can safely say that Mexican Chocolate, in general,  is one of Rick’s favorite flavours. He said that my latest version was the best he’s ever had and “Whoohoo Jackpot!” -that’s what I was aiming for! I started with a recipe off of Epicurious.com that had good reviews and of course I couldn’t leave well enough alone so I spiced it up with 4 types of cinnamon flavor and some vanilla and almond extract. So here is my version:

 Ibarra Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

• 3-3/4 Cups Organic Half and Half

• 1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped

• Ibarra sweet chocolate, grated or chopped finely (a serrated knife works great for this) use 3-1/2 disks out of the 18.6oz pkg.

• 3 whole eggs

• a good pinch of salt

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract

• one good pinch each of Ceylon Cinnamon, Chinese Cassia Cinnamon, Vietnam Cinnamon

• LorAnn Cinnamon Oil -you will use a very small amount of this.

First of all use good ingredients, I always use organic products where available. Ibarra Chocolate is available at some grocery stores and most Latin or Mexican markets. All of the Cinnamon varieties and vanilla beans are available at Penzeys. LorAnn oil can be found at some grocery stores or any confectionery supply store or at the link above. (It’s the kind we used to make cinnamon toothpicks when we were kids. -Did you make those too?)

Before you begin, chill your ice cream maker’s canister and have ice and rock salt at the ready if you are using a crank style freezer or freeze the bowl of a Donvier or Cuisinart style maker. Have a thin-walled metal bowl in an ice bath in a larger bowl at the ready and a stainless steel fine mesh strainer.

Then split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds out with the back of a small paring knife. (Note: Reserve the empty bean and put it in your sugar canister to make vanilla sugar if you like. Good in coffee etc.)

Place the scraped seeds in a medium size, heavy-bottomed sauce pan and add the half and half and the chopped chocolate. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until it starts to boil. Remove from heat.

Break the eggs into a small bowl and add a good pinch of salt (use your thumb and first two fingers for the pinch) then whisk, add the vanilla extract, the almond extract and the powdered cinnamon (3 kinds).  Whisk a ladle full of the hot chocolate mixture into the eggs to temper them- go slowly and whisk hard you don’t want scrambled eggs here. Then whisk the tempered eggs into the hot chocolate and return to low-med heat until the mixture reaches 175degrees F. It may already be there- hold for a minute or two to cook the eggs into the custard.

Pour immediately through the strainer into the metal bowl in the ice bath. Use a flexible spatula to push it through the strainer leaving the solid bits behind. Stir it occasionally while in the bath until it is quite chilled.  Now for the secret ingredient: take a toothpick and dip it about 1/4 inch** into the LorAnn cinnamon oil, then swizzle the toothpick through the custard. Stir it in thoroughly with a spoon. **don’t use too much- be careful this oil is very strong! **

This is now your custard. Once chilled you can refrigerate it further to reduce churning time or churn right away. Follow your manufacturer’s directions for churning. Muy Delicioso!

My note: I personally don’t care for the canister type freezers since it is impossible to further chill them once you start. You can add more ice and rock salt to the old fashioned kind to keep the temperature lowered. Of course if you are lucky enough to have a self-refrigerating kind – go for it -more power to you I say! Mine is an inexpensive electric model that uses ice and salt and I bought it for under 20 dollars. I sold my more expensive freezer canister model at our last garage sale.

Also this month, I made an Apple Cider Carmel Ice Cream that was pretty fabulous too. Danielle at Habeas Brulee gave me the idea. I did already have Kate Zuckerman’s book The Sweet Life, but I had not tried that recipe until Danielle wrote about it in her post. It is a very grown up type ice cream with a bit of a tang- a definite Tarte Tatin flavour. Kate, who is the pastry chef at Chanterelle restaurant in New York City, recommends pairing it with her Walnut, Currant and Cinnamon Rugelach and I haven’t tried that yet, but I will soon. It has Autumn type flavors for me so I will be revisiting it throughout Summer and into the Fall.