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.

Pizza with Blackberries, Basil, and Leeks

Be sure to use nice sweet berries for this. Tart ones will sound a dissonant flavor note.

1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
3-4 oz. shredded mozzarella
1 cup sliced leeks (about 2 fat ones)
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup blackberries (cut in half if very large)
1-2 oz. goat cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat a little olive oil in a small skillet and saute the leeks for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Paint the pizza crust lightly with olive oil, then spread the mozzarella over it. Top with the sauteed leeks, then sprinkle with basil. Top the pizza with the blackberries, then with the goat cheese (if using). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake the pizza for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done, the berries are juicy, and the cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Thanksgiving Pie Ideas

Pie for Thanksgiving is a big deal in my family, especially on my husband's side. Not only does there need to be plenty for the big day, with family sticking around all weekend, there needs to be plenty of leftovers! Apple and pumpkin are non-negotiable necessities and not to be messed with, but we always do at least a couple other kinds as well and there is always room for a little creativity. Peach, blueberry, and cherry are all frequent additions to the table. Last year I made a triple cranberry meringue pie (I think I found the recipe on the New York Times website), which was quite tasty but involved too many steps to make again for a holiday where food prep time is at a premium. Here are some other ideas to jazz things up without straying too far from tradition:

1. For apple pie, add a handful of cranberries
2. For pumpkin pie, add minced candied ginger or substitute maple syrup for some or all of the sugar
3. For peach pie, add some minced fresh or candied ginger
4. For peach, cherry, or berry pies, top with streusel topping instead of pastry crust
5. Mix apple and pear in a pie, or apple, pear, and poached quince
6. Mix different berries in one pie (e.g. blueberry, strawberry, and blackberry)
7. For berry, cherry, or peach pie, add a teaspoon of almond or hazelnut extract to the pastry dough
8. Combine peaches with blueberries or blackberries

And, of course, don't forget to have plenty of Snow's or Bart's ice cream on hand for the a la mode part. Vanilla is classic, of course, but we have found that Snow's ginger goes really well with most fruit pies - skeptical relatives have been converted!

Peach-Blackberry Crisp

We have been enjoying lovely ripe peaches from Clarkdale, along with blackberries purchased at the farmers market on Saturday. We ate about half the pint on the way home, but the rest made it into a crisp.

4-5 cups sliced peaches
1-2 cups blackberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
dash of nutmeg
5 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, plus more for the pan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter an 8x8 pan or 10-inch deep dish pie pan.

In a large bowl, gently toss the fruit with the sugar and corn starch. Transfer to the buttered pan.

In a food processor, combine all other ingredients and pulse until crumbly but not powdered (you can also do this by hand with a pastry cutter or two knives, but it's harder). Spread over the fruit.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until topping is crisp and fruit is bubbly. Serve warm or hot. Great with ice cream, especially Snow's or Bart's Ginger.

Serves about six.

Variation: substitute blueberries for the blackberries.