Frozen Yogurt with Summer Fruit - Master Recipe

I'll start this off by saying up front that you need an ice cream maker to make this, an item I realize lots of people don't have. But we acquired one a couple months ago and I have really been enjoying making our own ice creams and frozen yogurts using local ingredients. Fresh local cream - not ultrapasteurized - has so much more delicious flavor than you get in the kind from the store that will keep for weeks and weeks on the shelf.  And when you combine that with local berries or other fruits, well...

I've found I can make really excellent frozen yogurt as well, which is a bit more healthful of an option than the ice cream.  I make my own yogurt with local milk, but you can always use Sidehill Farm yogurt or any commercial variety. However, if you use a sweetened flavor - anything other than plain - you can cut back the sugar in this recipe to almost nothing.

You can use pretty much any soft fruit in this recipe, but if you use apricots, peaches, etc. I suggest peeling them first.  Raspberries are truly sublime here.

This recipe is intended for a 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker. In general, follow the instructions that came with your machine. Have the bowl solidly frozen ahead of time.

2 1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped/mashed summer fruit
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or so.

Put the ice cream maker together with the frozen bowl and turn it on.  Pour in the yogurt mixture. Let the maker work for 15-20 minutes, until the frozen yogurt becomes too thick for the paddle to keep stirring it. It will have roughly the consistency of softserve.  Serve immediately or place it in a tupperware container and freeze.

To serve the yogurt after it has been in the freezer for several hours, let it thaw on the counter for 5-10 minutes to soften up.

Serves 4-6.

Freezing Raspberries

Our raspberry plants are pumping out a good crop right now.  In the heat, they are ripening faster than we can use them.  Because raspberries don't keep well once picked, even in the fridge, your best bet is to freeze them if you have more than you can use in about 24 hours.

To freeze, pick over the berries and remove any moldy ones, or, if possible, slice off the moldy bit. Spread the berries out in a baking pan and freeze for several hours (this is called tray freezing). Once the berries are frozen hard, you can pack them into freezer bags and they won't stick together.

Raspberries ready for tray freezing

Tangy Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette

Our raspberries are coming in thick and fast in the hot weather.  Some have gone into the freezer, some into frozen yogurt, others eaten fresh or in the morning cereal.  This dressing was a new experiment, and I was pleased with the result.  You won't confuse this with the overly sweet commercial raspberry vinaigrette you typically find. If you find it's too tangy for you, add a spoonful of maple syrup.

1 cup fresh raspberries, pureed
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 Tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt to taste

If you don't mind this being seedy and a bit crunchy, just combine all ingredients and mix well.  If you'd rather remove the seeds, press the puree through a sieve before combining it with the oil and vinegar.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Greek Pasta with Chard, Tomatoes, and Dill

Dill and feta give this pasta dish a Greek flair.  It's loaded with greens, which are coming in fast and furious at this point in the season.

1 lb cut pasta (e.g. shells, rotini, etc)
Olive oil
1/2 cup chopped scapes
1 lb chard, well chopped
3 cups cooked chickpeas
3 cups chopped tomatoes (canned, or use fresh peeled paste tomatoes)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
Crumbled feta for topping

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water, then drain and toss with a little olive oil.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Heat a little olive oil in a braising pan or Dutch oven.  Add the scapes and saute for 1-2 minutes, then add the chard (in batches if needed) and saute until wilted. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, and oregano and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Stir in the dill and add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the pasta and sauce together and serve. Top generously with crumbled feta at the table.

Serves about 6.

Red Currant Syrup

We had a nice crop of red currants on our two bushes this year.  I turned about a quart of them into this tasty syrup, which is good mixed with seltzer or in cocktails.  Cook it a bit longer and you'll get sauce instead of syrup; a bit past that and it'll be more like jelly.

1 quart stemmed red currants

2 cups sugar

Splash of water

Place the currants, sugar, and water in a Dutch oven or similar large pan.  Cook over medium heat until the currant skins start to separate from the fruit and it gets pretty soupy.  (As mentioned above, keep cooking it longer if you desire a thicken end product.)  Strain the syrup through a fine sieve into a bowl, then use the back of a spoon to mash and press as much of the remaining flesh and liquid through the sieve as you can.  When you're done, pour the syrup into a jar(s).  This is suitable for canning (5 minutes for half pint jars, 10 minutes for pint jars), or just keep it in the fridge.

Makes about 1 quart.

Cilantro Mint Sauce

A tangy, pungent sauce excellent on grilled meats or veggies.

3/4 cup mint leaves
1 1/4 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
Water
Salt to taste

Combine the mint, cilantro, garlic, and vinegar in a blender or mini food processor.  Add a splash of water if needed to process until pretty smooth.  Add salt to taste.

Makes around 3/4 cup, plenty to serve with a grilled meal for 4-6.

Freezing Sour Cherries

Got the first local cherries of the season at this morning's farmers market.  Ben Clark of Clarkdale Fruit Farms told me that they would have sour cherries for probably two more weeks, and also about two weeks of sweet cherries, starting next week.  You have to get there early - they sell out!  Sour cherries (aka tart cherries or pie cherries) can be eaten fresh but really where they shine is in pie and preserves.  So each year I try to get some into the freezer so we can have our cherry pie at Thanksgiving, plus a few other times if at all possible.

To freeze cherries, just wash, stem, and pit.  Drain off an excess juice, then pack them into freezer bags (1 quart size is good).

An inexpensive cherry pitter is very helpful for the job.  I picked one up a few years ago and have been grateful for it each year since. Pit cherries in a nice deep bowl, as they tend to spatter and the dark ones stain.

Plan on two quarts of fresh cherries yielding around 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 quarts of pitted cherries, well packed - just about the right amount for a pie.