MELTING SUMMER DAYS

Every summer, my family spent a few days at a friend’s vacation house on the Gulf of Mexico. To me, they were the most lavish people we knew. It didn’t matter that there were crab traps and wheel barrels lining the stairway to the house, that the kitchen had outdated, chipped linoleum floors and there was no air conditioning. Honestly, it was one step away from camping, but as a child, I didn’t notice. It was a summer home.

We spent long summer days carefully treading the shallow, murky Gulf floor, making sure we didn’t cut our feet on the backs of rigid oyster shells. We spent hours crouching in the water, grinning from ear to ear as we surfaced beautiful oysters. We tossed them in a galvanized bucket, and once the pail was filled to the brim we brought it over to a picnic table that was perfectly perched at the end on the dock. I watched as one of the older boys took a small, sharp knife and slowly pried the shell open, jiggled the oyster free and handed it to me. The oyster slid to the back of my throat like a sweet yet salty egg yolk.

Roped to the dock were a dozen or so crab traps. We gently lifted the traps and carried any unfortunate captives to the kitchen, being careful not to trip on any flotsam and jetsam on the way up the stairs. The women prepared the seafood and all the trimmings while the men gathered the propane tanks and large silver pots outside. In no time the salty, summer air was bursting with Cajun spices, and we sat down to a great boil.

As the sun began to set, the scent of spices became a faint memory, and we began scooping out servings of thick, creamy, black-speckled homemade vanilla ice cream. We sat on top of the wooden picnic table at the end of the dock, kicking our legs, watching our reflection on the water. I placed my hand on the table, tracing the initials I had carved into the weathered wood, making sure I treasured this moment as my childhood summer days started melting away and fading faster than ice cream in the hand of a child on a hot summer’s day.

I had such a wonderful time creating One Summer Ice Cream Five Ways for Relish including Vanilla Bean, Backyard Mint, Blackberry + Local Honey, Dark Cherry + Amaretto, Georgia Peach + Basil!  Hope you enjoy!

Recipe: Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Makes 1 ½ Quarts

2 cups of whole milk

2 cups of granulated sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

1 vanilla bean pod, deseeded

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine milk and sugar. Stir occasionally until the sugar completely dissolves and tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Take off the heat, and add the salt and vanilla seeds along with the vanilla pod to the milk and sugar mixture. Allow to steep and cool for at least 10 minutes. Whisk in the heavy whipping cream and discard the vanilla bean pod. Cover and place in the fridge for a few hours until completely chilled, at least 2 hours.

Transfer the base to an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a container and let ice cream set completely for at least 2 more hours.

 

Recipe: Georgia Peach + Basil Ice Cream

Makes 1 ½ Quarts

2 cups of whole milk

2 cups of granulated sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

1 vanilla bean pod, deseeded

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

½ cup peaches, chopped into small cubes

½ cup of hand-torn basil

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine milk and sugar. Stir occasionally until the sugar completely dissolves and tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Take off the heat, and add the salt and vanilla seeds along with the vanilla pod to the milk and sugar mixture. Allow to steep and cool for at least 10 minutes. Whisk in the heavy whipping cream and discard the vanilla bean pod. Cover and place in the fridge for a few hours until completely chilled, at least 2 hours.

Using an ice cream maker, add the chilled ice cream base to the machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the mixture has thickened, add the chopped peaches and basil. Once the machine has finished, scoop the ice cream into a freezer proof container and freeze for at least 2 hours. Enjoy!

 

Recipe: Blackberry + Local Honey Ice Cream

Makes 1 ½ Quarts

2 cups of whole milk

2 cups of granulated sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

1 vanilla bean pod, deseeded

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

½ cup blackberries, quartered

1 tablespoon of local honey

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine milk and sugar. Stir occasionally until the sugar completely dissolves and tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Take off the heat, and add the salt and vanilla seeds along with the vanilla pod to the milk and sugar mixture. Allow to steep and cool for at least 10 minutes. Whisk in the heavy whipping cream and discard the vanilla bean pod. Cover and place in the fridge for a few hours until completely chilled, at least 2 hours.

Using an ice cream maker, add the chilled ice cream base to the machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the mixture has thickened, add the blackberries and drizzle in the honey. Once the machine has finished, scoop the ice cream into a freezer proof container and freeze for at least 2 hours. Enjoy!

 

Recipe: Dark Cherry + Amaretto Ice Cream

Makes 1 ½ Quarts

2 cups of whole milk

2 cups of granulated sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

1 vanilla bean pod, deseeded

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

½ cup dark cherries, pitted and quartered

1 teaspoon of amaretto extract

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine milk and sugar. Stir occasionally until the sugar completely dissolves and tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Take off the heat, and add the salt and vanilla seeds along with the vanilla pod to the milk and sugar mixture. Allow to steep and cool for at least 10 minutes. Whisk in the heavy whipping cream and discard the vanilla bean pod. Cover and place in the fridge for a few hours until completely chilled, at least 2 hours.

Using an ice cream maker, add the chilled ice cream base to the machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the mixture has thickened, add the cherries and amaretto. Once the machine has finished, scoop the ice cream into a freezer proof container and freeze for at least 2 hours. Enjoy!

 

Recipe: Backyard Mint Ice Cream

Makes 1 ½ Quarts

2 cups of whole milk

2 cups of granulated sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

1 vanilla bean pod, deseeded

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

½ cup of hand-torn mint

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine milk and sugar. Stir occasionally until the sugar completely dissolves and tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Take off the heat, and add the salt and vanilla seeds along with the vanilla pod to the milk and sugar mixture. Allow to steep and cool for at least 10 minutes. Whisk in the heavy whipping cream and discard the vanilla bean pod. Cover and place in the fridge for a few hours until completely chilled, at least 2 hours.

Using an ice cream maker, add the chilled ice cream base to the machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the mixture has thickened, add the fresh mint. Once the machine has finished, scoop the ice cream into a freezer proof container and freeze for at least 2 hours. Enjoy!