Sunday, July 5, 2015

Easy Berry Sorbet or Sherbet

I froze most of my mulberry crop this year and I froze a ton of blueberries that I bought in bulk from a local farm for a great price at the peak of the season a few weeks ago. And I keep lots of seasonal fruit handy. So when my little sister asked if we could make something in the ice cream maker, she had her pick of flavors. She chose a mix of berries: strawberries, blackberries, mulberries, and blueberries.

3 cups berries
1/4 cup spring water
1/4 - 1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar
a tablespoon of zest of a lemon, lime, or orange

Boil water with sugar until dissolved. Allow to cool slightly. Puree berries and sugar syrup well in a blender. Press through fine sieve to remove seeds if desired. Stir zest into puree. Refrigerate until cold if using fresh fruit instead of frozen. Freeze in ice cream machine for about 25 minutes. 

Variations
Use 1&1/2 cups fruit and 1&1/2 cups plain whole Strauss yogurt for a creamy sherbet
Instead of berries: try peaches or nectarines
Garnish with lemon basil chiffonade or mint leaves, thin crisp cookies, and edible flowers
Garnish with granola & carob chips
Instead of sugar: use agave, maple syrup, or honey and omit or decrease the water

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Simple Summer BBQ

Enjoying the beautiful sky and cool breeze, tis the season for summer bbqs.  Here are my simple favorites:

Roasted Corn on the Cob
Peel back the husks, brush off all the silk and tie the husks back together as a handle, using a strip of the husk.  Put them straight on your grill until warm and slightly charred, just a few minutes. I love corn mexi-style: slathered with butter and sour cream, drizzled with a squeeze of lime juice, sprinkled with salt and cayenne.

Potato Salad with Homemade Mayo
This recipe's the most complex of the bunch here, but I just can't leave it out.  I'm using potatoes from my CSA farm, Solidarity.
Variation: sub plain whole yogurt for half of the mayo.

Caprese Salad
a few medium-sized heirloom tomatoes from Suzie's or JR Organics Farm, sliced
a large ball of mozzarella from the Cheese Store (or make your own!), sliced
a bunch of fresh basil from the Schaners
olive oil from Farmer's Daughter
an aged balsamic vinegar
Murry River sea salt from Salt Farm
freshly ground pepper

On a platter, layer by alternating a slice of tomato, a slice of moz, and a basil leaf.  Drizzle with oil and vinegar, sprinkle with salt, and a few cranks of pepper...voila! Serve with sliced baguette from the Prager Brothers.

Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade

Finish simply with fresh strawberries from Sage Mountain Farm & sliced watermelon from Suzie's Farm, and sliced nectarines from Smit Farms.