Lemon Balm Creme Fraiche Ice Cream
Lemon Balm Creme Fraiche Ice Cream is a subtle silky ode to early spring. The smooth tang of creme fraiche (ideally homemade) brings out the gentle herbaceous lemon-grass tones of fresh lemon balm. Lemon Balm or Bee Balm (see photo) is a hardy perennial herb of the mint family that even grows wild now in many parts of North America. If you can't find lemon balm, feel free to substitute another herb from the mint family or even lemongrass. The no-egg creme fraiche ice cream base is both quick and versatile. As fruits start coming into season feel free to adapt the flavor to what is fresh.
Yield: 1 Quart
Ingredients:
- 2 cups creme fraiche (can substitute 1 cup heavy cream & 1 cup sour cream)
- 1 cup milk (we use 1% but any will do)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 large bunch lemon balm (see photo for approximate quantity), stems removed
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Steps:
- In a small saucepan combine milk, sugar, and lemon balm. Turn heat to medium and stir frequently as you bring to a bare simmer. Try to crush or bruise the lemon balm leaves as you stir to release their flavorful oils. As soon as the mixture comes to a simmer (small bubbles around the edges), turn off the heat and allow to steep uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a medium mixing bowl, pressing all the liquid from the leaves with the back of your spoon. Add the creme fraiche, vanilla, and salt to the mixture and stir to combine.
- Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes (until lukewarm) before adding to your ice cream maker. Churn according to your manufacturer's instructions. If it comes out of the ice cream maker softer than you would like, transfer to a container and freeze for several hours to firm it up.
- Enjoy! It is also delicious with fresh fruit or a simple fruit compote (we ate it with a strawberry rhubarb compote).
Kale and Red Leaf Salad with Apple Mint Vinaigrette
Kale and Red Leaf Salad with Apple Mint Vinaigrette is an unusual and delicious salad that we made this evening with our first spring batch of local green kale. Kale is the quiet gawky kid in the corner who landed the starring role in the school play and never looked back. Kale has a serious following of die-hard fans who devour it in all forms; chips, smoothies, ice cream, brownies, pesto. Kale is a cancer-fighting super-food loaded with beta-carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium, and antioxidants. To learn about the many ways to use kale and its nutritional value check out Deborah Madison's new book Vegetable Literacy. This Kale and Red Leaf Salad is a tasty example of raw kale serving as a base for this distinctive crisp apple mint vinaigrette.
Homemade Creme Fraiche
Silky, tangy, rich, and tart without being either sour or cloyingly heavy -- Homemade Creme Fraiche is extraordinary. It can be used in place of sour cream as a condiment, as an ingredient in dishes as diverse as velvety cooked sauces, salad dressings, or ice creams (stay tuned for a Lemon Balm Creme Fraiche Ice Cream). Or...it can be eaten straight or on cereal for a true breakfast of champions (don't tell Rebecca).
Tomato, Feta, and Garden Herb Toasts
With the first tomatoes and herbs of the season coming in, it is time to celebrate summer! Nothing highlights fresh-from-the-vine juicy tomatoes and backyard herbs like like Tomato, Feta, and Garden Herb Toasts. Brushed in olive oil, the bread is grilled for a warm smokey base. Basil and feta tossed tomatoes provide a vibrant topping to the an herbed creme fraiche spread. Tomato, Feta, and Garden Herb Toasts taste like summer, and are quick and easy to put together. We used a goat cheese feta from our CSA, an exquisite local find! This dish works beautifully as both an appetizer or a main.
Hazelnut Tart With Fresh Strawberries
Food indulgence comes in many forms, but Hazelnut Tart With Fresh Strawberries is as fresh and light as it is delicious. The crust is made from a French-style hazelnut meringue, or dacquoise, normally seen as a layer in fancy french pastries and cakes. Here the subtle chew, airy lightness, and nutty praline flavor of hazelnut meringue provides contrast and support to the sweet juicy berries. The resulting tart is exquisite. Don't be intimidated: this dessert is surprisingly foolproof. The only unique ingredient is hazelnut flour. Buy the freshest you can find (we use Bob's Red Mill) You can grind your own from fresh roasted hazelnuts...but be very careful not to make hazelnut butter in the process (this happens from over processing the nuts).
Meyer Lemon Posset
Lemon Posset is a near perfect dessert in my mind. It is rich, decadent, and creamy, while managing to taste light and fresh on the tongue. It has only three simple ingredients, that come together in a taste and texture that will make you smile. We discovered this unique old-fashioned British treat when searching for a custard-like dessert for a friend who is allergic to eggs. As often happens when we are confronted with a food restriction, we become fixated on that ingredient...in this case egg-centric dishes: ice creams, meringues, cakes, and custards. We wanted a dish with the silky creaminess usually only possibly with thickeners and eggs. Lemon Posset allows the egg-free and gluten-free among us an uncompromised dessert win, free of any substitutes or unpronounceable ingredients.
