While not big on desserts, I hanker at times for certain things. Most of the sweet ones are remembrances from my childhood. Summer extended family barbecues cooked on the huge rock pit my Dad had built in our back yard. These involved goat, brisket, pork, chicken, our homemade venison and pork sausage - you name it. Sides galore: potato salad, green salad, macaroni and cheese, warm bread, and several fresh picked and cooked vegetables from our garden. While the adults cooked, the kids cranked ice cream. We made peach, or peppermint (with crushed hard candy mints) and sometimes, strawberry. Today, I made strawberry. While not an old family recipe, this one's simple and works in my electric ice cream machine. I have tried several and like the Cuisinart model, myself. Here's the scoop (ouch):
Strawberry Ice Cream
1 cup half and half, or whole milk, or really, 2% milk - I went all high fat
2 cups whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar (bump to a cup, if you like sweeter)
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon good vanilla
1 pint strawberries, hulled and processed/blended until slightly chunky
Mix everything but the berries in a bowl, pour into frozen machine insert and begin "churning", after about ten minutes you should see some crystals forming. Pour berry slurry in the top and continue watching until ice cream thickens. Pour into an airtight freezer container and freeze until firm.
This works with anything you dream of using, peaches, mints, shaved chocolate, crushed thin mint style cookies peddled by young girls in green outfits. Small chunks of homemade mexican brownies...
