accidental flavorings

outside an ice cream shop in Chestnut Hill,  September 2009

I almost forgot to mention the ice cream recipe that I made up... It is more than good. Maybe the best ice cream I've ever had. I would take a photo but it is dark and I've been hitting it too hard - so please imagine.

mildly vanilla but mostly herbal mint, lemon and thai basil ice cream.

The Base:
2 cups 1% milk
half a vanilla bean (penzeys) sliced open to free the flavor
a handful of mint
a few sprigs of thai basil
a subtle handful of lemon balm
scant 1/2 cup of sugar

The Middle:
3 egg yolks, whisked

The Finish:
1 tsp. penzeys lemon extract
1 cup table cream

Heat The Base in a saucepan on medium to medium high until the milk base bubbles prior to a boil. Take your time to allow the flavors to infuse. Pull off heat and drizzle slowly pouring into the eggs, or The Middle (I suggest pouring through a sieve or coffee filter). Dig your vanilla bean out of the infusions and scrape a little off and put it back into your mixture. Add The Finish. Pour into your ice cream maker and let good things happen. Freeze, enjoy. It won't make enough. You should probably double it.

A note, if you use table cream as I did the mixture may appear a little more ice milky than ice creamy.