Blueberry Pie Sorbet

A long time ago I posted a recipe for blueberry compote. I have since adjusted that recipe a bit and used a blueberry syrup from that compote to make blueberry pie sorbet – the lemon and the fresh nutmeg make it taste like filling from blueberry pie. If you prefer your sorbet more tart than sweet, increase the amount of lemon juice and decrease the blueberry syrup accordingly.

Make sure that the bowl of your 1 quart ice cream maker has been in the freezer for at least 24 hours, and make the simple syrup explained below and chill that in the fridge.

You will need:

• 2 cups of cold simple syrup. It’s easy to make: In a medium saucepan mix 2 cups granulated sugar with two cups of water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer without stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then chill until ready to use.
• 8 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar (or to taste, depending on how sweet the berries are)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (must be fresh, or omit it)

In a large saucepan combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice and nutmeg. Bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes and then reduce to a simmer. Keep them on simmer until the berries fall apart and the juice thickens. Taste it to be sure that it is as sweet as you like it and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (and your tongue, since you’re tasting). It should not be watery at all. Let it cool to warm or room temperature.

Once the berries are cool, place a sieve over a large measuring cup/bowl and fill the sieve 3/4 full and let the syrup drip through. It’s okay to stir the berries to speed up the process. Keep adding the berry mixture to the sieve when it gets too thick, and stop when you have 1 1/2 cups of syrup. (If you don’t have quite enough syrup you can add enough lemon juice to bring it up to 1 1/2 cups.) Combine the syrup with the 2 cups of cold simple syrup and pour the mixture into your 1 quart ice cream maker and mix until thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove to a 1 quart container, top with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

Makes  quart.

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CSA Adventures: Box 2. Spring Onions, Lettuces, Collard Greens, White Turnips and Young Basil

It may have sounded kind of gimmicky at first, thinking that the CSA – and blogging about it – would change the way we eat. And even though no one is adding anything really new to their diet since we started (it’s still early), I have changed the way I cook and onions have become much more popular. Because I have more and different kinds of vegetables on hand I find ways to include them, and I am much more liberal about pulling herbs from the garden to add more flavors to old recipes. Local lettuce has so much more flavor and texture, just mixing red and green leaf leaves together makes a lovely salad in itself.

This time around I am focusing on the tender new basil and the spring onions, because they each led me to recipes I would have not thought to try before.

Spring Onions Braised in Butter with Chives

This is a variation on a Bon Appetit recipe and I changed it because my onions came out a little soggier than I expected – I think the onions in their version are larger than the ones I had, so keep that in mind. So even though mine were not very browned, they were tender and silky and delicious – and there weren’t nearly enough.

• 1 1/2 pounds spring onions (about 12)
• 6-8 Tablespoons unsalted butter (I used Plugra, which is available locally)
• 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped chives (optional)
• Sea salt

Trim the tops off of the onions and trim the green ends enough so that they will fit nicely in the skillet you are using (remove any really limp ends, too). Lay them in a large skillet and add 1/2 cup water and half of the butter. Bring to a boil and cover, simmering until they are almost tender (7-10 minutes). Uncover and simmer a little longer until tender, 3-5 minutes longer. (Again, take into consideration the size of the onions you are using for the simmering times.) Remove onions to a warm serving plate, and simmer the remaining liquid, reducing it to about 3 Tablespoons. Whisk in the rest of the butter, turn off the heat and return the onions to the pan to coat with the butter. Season to taste with the sea salt. Return the onions to the serving plate, pour the sauce over them and sprinkle the chives on top.

Serves 4.

Lime-Basil Sorbet

The basil in this box was very tender and so the flavor was not as strong as older basil with somewhat tougher leaves. I think this would be great suing Thai bail, also. One person suggested this sorbet as a base for a frozen cocktail with tequila, which sounds great to me but I haven’t tried that yet. The basis for this recipe is the sorbet section of the cookbook that came with my Cuisinart ice cream maker.

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice (chilled is better but not required)
• 1/3 cup young basil leaves, chopped

This simple syrup appears amber because I used organic sugar. White sugar will result in a clear syrup.

Make a simple syrup with the sugar and water: combine them in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer without stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then chill until ready to use.

In a blender combine the lime juice, the simple syrup and the basil leaves. Blend them all together until the basil is completely pureed within the mixture. Pour the mixture into a 1 quart ice cream maker and mix until thickened, about 30 minutes. remove to a 1 quart carton, topic with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

Makes 1 quart.

Note: I buy cardboard ice cream cartons in pint and quart sizes from Amazon.com.