TUESDAYCLASS
TASTING SPRING By Luke Ayres
I was once trying to make a subtle pea-flavored ice cream to accompany a carrot cake dessert for a spring menu. I was unsuccessful using fresh peas; they were doing something weird to the texture, making it chalky and not very delicious.
Sweet Pea ice cream goes great with carrot cake but it could also pair well with some lemon sorbet or with shortbread. This is a fun recipe to use up some of those abundant pea shoots found at most farm markets in early spring.
It finally dawned on me to use pea tendrils and treat them the same way as I would to make basil ice cream. It worked perfectly and the result looked and tasted like spring.
As it gets later in the season, switch the herb to basil and pair with some macerated local strawberries for summer in a bowl.
Sweet Pea Ice Cream 1 cup pea shoots, packed A scant 3/4 cup of sugar 2 cups cream 1 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 egg yolks
Strain the pea shoots out of the milk and pour the milk into a clean saucepan to warm over medium heat. Once hot, pour a fine stream of the milk mixture into the eggs, very slowly - a little at a time - whisking constantly. (A hand towel folded under the bowl will hold it in place if you only have two arms.) Gradually pour the rest of the milk mixture into the eggs and whisk until combined.
Combine pea shoots and sugar in a food processor and blend until well chopped and mixed. Scrape contents into a saucepan with the cream and milk. Heat until steaming and just starting to bubble around the sides. Remove from heat and set aside to steep for 30 minutes to an hour. When ready to continue, quickly whisk the egg yolks together in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Pour egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan and heat on medium heat until a thermometer reads 170 degrees. Stir occasionally, as the bottom can scorch if left unattended. When 170 is reached, remove from heat and pass through a fine strainer and into a clean bowl. Place in the fridge to chill. Once cold, churn in your ice cream machine following manufacturer’s specifications.
Photograph of this year’s lambs by Michele Drozd: executive director, ceramic artist, and current farmer
19
