I Scream, You Scream, We All Forage For Ice Cream
We’re over plain vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. This summer, we’re craving some new and original ice cream flavors! Forage for your own ingredients and create a one-of-a-kind seasonal dessert.
The following is an excerpt from The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora by Alan Bergo. It has been adapted for the web.
Spruce Tip Ice Cream
Makes 1 quart (945 ml)
One of my signature desserts, Spruce Tip Ice Cream had a cult following when it graced the dessert menu. One of my servers used to have her children pick them for me, with the promise of coming to the restaurant for a scoop fresh from the ice cream machine when it was done. It’s great all by itself, but for some variation try it on a rhubarb crisp or with a handful of warm blueberries. Adding dark chocolate chips or shavings makes a nice play on mint chocolate chip ice cream, too.
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (720 ml) half-and-half
- Scant 1/2 cup (28 g) chopped fresh or frozen spruce tips, any papery husks removed
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Procedure
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, salt, and cream, then heat on medium-low, whisking occasionally to make sure the egg doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
When the mixture starts to steam and is hot to the touch, but not bubbling, remove it from the heat, whisking to help it cool until room temperature. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a blender.
Add the spruce tips and puree, working up the power settings gradually until you get to high. It takes a bit of horsepower to break down the needles, and for the best flavor you really need them finely blended.
Pass it through a fine strainer, whisk in the lime juice, and refrigerate it overnight for the best texture. Finally, place the mixture in the bowl of an ice cream maker and process. My ice cream maker usually takes about 45 minutes. When the mixture looks thick like sour cream, transfer it to the freezer.
Meadowsweet or Elderflower Semifreddo
Serves 6–8, depending on whether you use an ice cream scoop or cut the terrine into slices
Semifreddo is essentially frozen custard that doesn’t require an ice cream maker, and it is one of the very best ways to show off the flavors of meadowsweet, elderflower, and anything else you might use to flavor crème fraîche. Serve it with berries or a tart fruit sauce on the side. It will melt faster than ice cream, so I freeze my serving dishes in advance.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (4 g) dried meadowsweet or elderflower flowers, or a few handfuls fresh (it’s okay if there are a few small stems)
- 11/4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (55 g) thick Greek yogurt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water (omit if you’re using maple syrup)
- Tiny pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or
- 2 teaspoons Galium Vanilla Extract (page 190)
- A few scrapes of lemon zest, finely grated (optional)
Prodecure
Oil a loaf pan, then line it with cling film and put the pan in the freezer. Tie the meadowsweet flowers in cheesecloth. Warm the cream. Allow the cream to cool to room temperature, then add the cheesecloth-wrapped flowers and yogurt, gently stir, cover, and leave out overnight at room temperature. The next day, warm the cream mixture gently and remove the flowers, carefully squeezing any excess cream back into the mixture. Chill the cream, then whip until it holds peaks. Chill the whipped cream and reserve.
In a stand mixer, whisk the egg yolks. Meanwhile, heat the sugar, water, salt, and vanilla to a rolling boil, then slowly and carefully pour the hot syrup down the side of the bowl in a thin stream while whisking the eggs (using a container with a pouring spout makes this easier).
Be sure to add the hot syrup slowly, or you’ll risk cooking the egg yolks. When all the syrup has been added, continue whisking until the yolk mixture reaches room temperature, about 5 to 10 minutes. It will lighten in color and triple in volume.
Mix in the whipped cream and the zest, then pour the mixture into the loaf pan and freeze until set, about 4 to 6 hours, or overnight. To serve, unmold the semifreddo and cut into slices, or scoop it out like ice cream, serving quickly in frozen dishes to avoid melting.
Recommended Reads
Recent Articles
Foraging wild plants in your area is a great way to shake up your culinary delights. Don’t know where to start? Below are our best foraging posts to get you started on your hunt for wild edibles. Foraging 101: Where to find your bounty We’ve given you descriptions. We’ve given you recipes. We’ve given you…
Read MoreYou can forget about waiting for your wine to ferment, because we have a recipe for dandelion beer that will be ready in just a week! Who knew those weeds in your backyard could make such a fun beverage? The following excerpt is from Pascal Baudar’s Wildcrafting Brewer. It has been adapted for the web.…
Read MoreNothing can be compared to the taste of a fresh, hot slice of pizza that came straight out of a wood-fired oven. By building your own clay wood-fired pizza oven, you’ll have this cheesy delicacy at your fingertips whenever you’re craving it! VIDEO: Building An Outdoor Clay Wood-Fired Pizza Oven Take it from Richard Miscovich,…
Read MoreChances are, you’ve seen cattails growing on the edge of your local lake or stream at least once or twice. Instead of just passing these plants, try foraging for and cooking them to create delicious seasonal dishes! The following excerpt is from The New Wildcrafted Cuisine by Pascal Baudar. It has been adapted for the…
Read MoreGarlic mustard: while known as “invasive,” this plant can be consumed in its entirety and has great nutritional value. Plus, the garlic-flavor is a perfect addition to any recipe that calls for mustard! The following are excerpts from Beyond the War on Invasive Species by Tao Orion and The Wild Wisdom of Weeds by Katrina…
Read More