Herbs in the Ice Cream
Rosemary Infused Saskatoon Berry Ice Cream
August on our 6th generation family farm is all about eating fresh local and enjoying the prairie summer. The greenhouse in Bruderheim is closed for the season, as we prep to start our next crop, and it’s time to soak in the dog days of summer.
This recipe was inspired by the inaugural event for Northern Bites Food Experiences and Tours: an evening that included a limo tour to our u-pick saskatoon berry orchard, pie making at Fife’n Dekel and more. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for current tour events.
(photos credit: Heather Klimchuk)
Developed in Nadine’s kitchen, the recipe flavours came together with input and lots of tasting by Malcolm and Rael and quickly turned into a fun family foodie project! What better way to savour Alberta berries and homegrown herbs than
pairing them together in ice cream. Enjoy!
Basic Vanilla Ice Cream Custard
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar or Alberta honey
(decrease to ½ c. as desired)
3 egg yolks
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
Add cream, milk, and sugar to a saucepan and heat till small bubbles form, whisking to prevent scalding. In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and add half cup of the hot milk mixture to temper the yolks. Whisk this mixture back into the saucepan and heat till thickened on med-low setting. Don’t boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Refrigerate once the custard has cooled.
Saskatoon Berry Reduction
2 cups saskatoon berries, fresh or frozen
(may sub any in-season berry)
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T lemon zest
2 sprigs fresh rosemary about 3” long each (or 1 T chopped fresh rosemary leaves)
Water just a splash to help the berries begin to cook (about 1-2 T)
Sugar/honey
Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and heat until gentle bubbling, squishing the berries as they cook. Remove from heat after the berries are soft and liquid is slightly reduced, about 15 min. Add sugar or honey just to give a very slight sweet but still tangy flavour. Let the mixture cool and press through a sieve so just the juice remains. Press until all juice is drained. Discard the pulp. Cool sauce in the fridge.
Putting it all together: Follow the directions on your ice cream maker to freeze the basic vanilla ice cream custard. As the mixture begins to harden, add enough berry reduction to give a medium purple color. Use more or less sauce, pending your taste. Continue to mix it in the ice cream maker until like soft serve. Scrape into a freezer safe bowl and add fresh saskatoon berries and approximately ¼ tsp of very finely chopped fresh rosemary, if desired. Mix well. Freeze until set OR eat a whole bunch NOW!
If you choose to share, garnish with a few fresh berries and a sprig of mint.
Berry delicious!
