In late May when the local strawberries start showing up at my farmers’ market, I buy quarts and quarts of them. I never tire of eating them just out of hand as God intended, but I’ve also been looking into ways to use them a little more imaginatively. Last year a friend made roasted strawberry jam, which was a knockout — the added depth of flavor was quite an eye-opener. I expanded on that jam idea and made this ice cream. It’s not very sweet and the vinegar and buttermilk provide a decided tanginess. This is definitely a grown-up treat — serve with sliced berries, some hot fudge sauce and/or your favorite cookie.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 1 Quart(s)
- 1 quart strawberries
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup sugar (or add up to ½ cup more if you want it sweeter)
- Fresh mint for garnish (optional)
Preparation
• Preheat oven to 375°. Remove stems from strawberries, wash and dry. Toss with the vinegar and a tablespoon of the sugar.
• Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes or until berries start to collapse a bit. Scrape berries and any juices in the pan into a blender with the remaining sugar and the buttermilk and purée until thick and creamy.
• Chill the mixture until quite cold, and then process in an ice cream machine. Remove frozen ice cream, place in a container and store the ice cream in freezer until ready to serve.
