CSA Week One: Maryland's First Harvest

As you may have noticed, I've been suffering with a bout of uninspired cooking, which coupled with busy days has resulted in fewer and fewer posts. To remedy this situation, I've signed up for a CSA to force me to step outside my fall-back meals and try some new things. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and is a program where consumers buy "shares" of a farm's harvest before the season begins (I paid for mine in full in April), providing funds that help the farmers to plant and maintain their fields, and then pick up their shares as the produce reaches its peak. If you'd like more information on CSAs, or to find local farmers markets, click here.

My CSA comes from One Straw Farm, an organic farm less than 3 miles from my house. Once a week, I make a pickup. Since this was my first one, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was greeted with massive quantities of the freshest produce, sure to improve my vitamin intake!


Keep in mind this is one full share for just one week! This week's share included 1 bunch each of collard greens, curly kale, red chard, yellow chard, arugula, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, and romaine lettuce. Also included was a bunch of wacky looking garlic scapes (new to me), a small head of cabbage and 2 pints of super sweet Maryland strawberries.

So what to do with all of this bounty? The lettuce of course has been devoted to salads, one of which was a lovely vietnamese concoction topped with noodles and shrimp, inspired by Nim Chow. The chard was blanched and became a star player in a creamy mushroom, sausage and orzo gratin - recipe to come.


I have big plans for the collards and kale, braised with ham hocks to go alongside barbecued chicken and cheddar scallion biscuits. The cabbage will probably end up in cabbage & noodles - a favorite around here.


The strawberries begged to be vibrant strawberry ice cream - this time I modified my previous recipe and used port instead of creme de menthe. It's the best strawberry ice cream you can imagine. (Recipe below)


The biggest conundrum was what to do with those funky, curly garlic scapes. Some of them ended up chopped fine in an omelet. The rest made their way into a pesto with peppery arugula and pistachios. It's great for pasta, as pizza sauce or for a sandwich spread. See the recipe below.

Strawberry Ice Cream with Port


2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup port
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
14 oz. freshly picked strawberries, washed and hulled (please, please seek out local ones - don't buy from across the country!)

Whisk eggs and sugar together in a heat proof bowl until well combined. Heat cream, port, milk and vanilla bean with seeds over medium heat in a heavy saucepan until mixture reaches a simmer. Remove pod of vanilla bean and reserve for another application. Slowly, whisking constantly, add warm mixture to the egg mixture in a thin stream, tempering the eggs. Return to the pan and bring mixture up to 175 degrees F while whisking. The mixture should thicken significantly- you've made a creme anglaise. Let cool to room temperature.

Combine strawberries and creme anglaise in a blender. Blend until well combined and chill overnight. Freeze according to the manufacturer's directions in an ice cream maker.



Garlic Scape and Arugula Pesto


1 bunch garlic scapes (about 6 large)
1 small bunch of arugula, washed and dried
1/2 cup roasted & shelled pistachios
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmeggiano reggiano
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano
1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Buzz garlic scapes and arugula in a food processor until well chopped. Add remaining ingredients and buzz in remaining ingredients until well combined. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to 6 months before using.

Easy As Pie...Only Ice Cream...

I currently have a lot of overripe fruit in the house. And after having to toss a pint of molding raspberries, I decided it was about time I did something about it, starting with the progressively browning freckled bananas on my countertop. Ice cream fiend that I am, of course the first thing that came to mind was banana ice cream.

I came across a no churn ice cream by David Lebovitz that was chocolate in flavor, but with added sweetness and texture from bananas, which also served as the fat in the ice cream. [Sidenote: I bought my almost-mother-in-law an ice cream maker and his book, The Perfect Scoop, for her birthday and have since considered stealing the book several times] His recipe got me thinking. I'm not really a fan of chocolate ice cream (or chocolate flavored things in general, although I love a bar of chocolate itself).

So I thought, "well, bananas...hmmm....they taste good with caramel...and...Oh! Banana Cream Pie! I love banana cream pie! And caramel is so much better with sea salt... and some white chocolate could stand in for the chocolate...but I don't have caramel and it's too hot to play with sugar... I do have dulce de leche... Eh, we'll try it." And 5 minutes later, licking the spoon after putting the ice cream base in the freezer: "Mmmm... this was such a good idea. I must be brilliant."


And so my next crazy icy concoction was born. And ooh is it good! It is couldn't be easier. The only piece of equipment required is a blender, although a food processor would work fine and I suppose that really and truly, a thorough mashing with a fork might even do the trick! So forgive me for talking to myself (and admiring my own ingenuity) and have some pie...I mean ice cream...

Salted Dulce De Leche Banana Cream Pie Ice Cream


3/4 cup lowfat milk
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 oz. white chocolate chips
4 oz. dulce de leche

3 medium overripe bananas
2/3 cup Bailey's Irish Creme
1 Tbsp dark rum

5 large marshmallows, torn into small chunks

2 Tbsp Heath Bar toffee bits
8 vanilla wafers, broken into coarse chunks

Heat milk in a small saucepan until it simmers. Remove from heat and stir in salt, chocolate and dulce de leche.
Let sit for 5 minutes before stirring to make sure everything melts into the hot milk.

Combine bananas, liquors and milk mixture in a blender. Blend well to combine. Add in marshmallow bits and freeze until almost set. Fold in toffee and cookies and let freeze completely (about 4 hours of freezing for soft serve-pictured here, 6-8 for hard ice cream).

Make Your Bowl Smile

Tiramisu has to be one of my favorite desserts. And you all know how obsessed I am with homemade ice cream. So it should come as no surprise that I've been dreaming of a tiramisu ice cream. I've called this a gelato primarily because of it's texture, which is more like a dense flavorful gelato than a completely smooth and airy ice cream. Rich with creamy mascarpone cheese and eggs, scented with marsala, speckled with rum and coffee drenched ladyfingers, this is just like the layered dessert, only better!


Tiramisu Gelato
makes 1 quart

3 cups mascarpone zabaglione, left in the fridge overnight for the flavors to meld and ripen

2 Tbsp dark rum
2 Tbsp sweet marsala wine
1 tsp espresso powder
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp water

6 crisp ladyfingers

bittersweet chocolate for grating

Pour mascarpone zabaglione into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Meanwhile, mix together rum, wine, espresso powder, sugar and water and stash it in the freezer.

In the last 5 minutes of churning, dunk ladyfingers in chilled rum mixture about 20 seconds per side, then crumble into gelato. Freeze until set, about 2 hours.

Serve topped with grated bittersweet chocolate. Prepare for your dishes to start grinning!


One of the things I love most about this ice cream is the alcohol keeps it from turning as rock hard in the freezer as other homemade ice creams. However, this also means it melts fast, so my apologies for the pictures!

How many licks does it take...

to get to the fruit in these summery pops?

Not too many it turns out - since they are bursting with flavorful chunks. I love popsicle molds, since they're generally inexpensive and almost all have lids that help prevent drips meandering down your fingers. However, these would also work fine in paper cups with popsicle sticks. I'd already planned to make popsicles today, but this post provided some good inspiration.

My (future) mother-in law will love these as she is a big fan of Edy's Coconut Whole Fruit Bars.

Peach Riesling and Coconut Cream Popsicles



3 small peaches, halved and pitted (one peeled first)
2 Tbsp very good sweet Riesling (I love our local Boordy Vineyard's honeysuckle scented Riesling)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp Bailey's Irish Creme
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp sweetened shredded coconut

Cut the peeled peach up into small pieces and distribute them evenly between your popsicle molds. Combine the other two peaches in a blender with Riesling, sugar and lemon juice. Blend until only tiny bits of fruit and peach skin are left (if you don't like this texture, blend more, then strain). Pour halfway up molds. Freeze about an hour, or until mostly set.



Whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour into molds until you reach the top, then lid as directed by the manufacturer. Freeze until solid - 5 or more hours. Grab one whenever you need to cool off (especially if you're sadly pool-less like me!

Chocolate Raspberry Bliss

We had L's family up for the weekend and after alternating baking in the sun with icy dips in the Gunpowder River, everyone was ready for some ice cream. L's dad only really likes black raspberry, and his brother's favorite is cookies and cream. Even though this was an exercise in compromise, it was the perfect combination, which is not all that surprising, given my fondness of chocolate and raspberry. This makes a double batch, feel free to halve it.



Raspberry Cookies and Cream



1 12oz. package frozen raspberries, thawed
1 tsp lemon juice
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup 1% milk
6 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup seedless red raspberry jam
1/4 cup raspberry syrup (Torani is the best)
1 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp raspberry extract
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups crushed oreo cookies

In a blender, combine raspberries, lemon juice, cream and milk in a blender. Blend to combine. Strain using a fine mesh colander. In a small saucepan, combine blended mixture with eggs, jam, syrup, salt and sugar. Whisk well to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it comes to a simmer and thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in extracts. Chill at least 4 hours, until completely cold.

Prepare ice cream according to manufacturer's directions, stirring in cookies at the end. Freeze for 3 hours to set.

Cantaloupe Duets

Oh no! I bought two cantaloupes at the beginning of the week and they're so ripe they'll surrender to mold tomorrow! I knew I wouldn't be able to eat them in time. So I gave in to my icy treats addiction and made a duo of frozen cantaloupe delights!

Cantaloupe Sorbet



1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cubed

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp Pernod
3 3-inch strips of lime zest
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup heavy cream

Puree the cantaloupe in a blender. Measure out half a cup and put into a saucepan. Keep the rest in the blender for now.

Add sugar, salt, Pernod, zest and lime juice into the saucepan. Place over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture just comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Remove zest.

Return syrup to blender along with cream and blend until smooth. Freeze as directed in an ice cream maker, then place in the freezer for at least 2 hours to set.


Matcha Melon Granita



1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

1/4 cup melon syrup (use Torani or other high quality syrup - Starbucks will sell you a bottle of theirs)
5 strips lime zest
5 large mint leaves
5 large basil leaves
2 Tbsp matcha powder
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

Puree cantaloupe in a blender.

Combine all other ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat. Let cool to room temperature. Strain.

Blend syrup into cantaloupe. Transfer to a 13 x 9 dish. Freeze for 4 hours, then scrape with a fork to form crystals.



Yet another post going the way of Mike's Frozen Dessert Contest...

How Do You Take Your Coffee? Frozen Please!

About a month ago I picked up some Italian Roast coffee at Trader Joes for L, and realized with horror that I had picked up decaf, just as the tattooed clerk put into into my reusable shopping bag. Now, we are of the mindset that drinking coffee sans caffeine is really as pointless as driving a car across the street to the neighbor's house. Somehow I managed to miss the caution orange lid and several bright orange "decaf" warnings on the label, and being the anti-confrontational mouse that I am, I didn't have the heart to ask the bounceresque employee to remove it from my bill. And so it's sat in my cupboard for over a month, mocking my intelligence. As a former Starbucks employee, I know that Italian roast is what gives their sinful Frappucinos such rich coffee character, so what better to star in a late night coffee treat? Problem solved.

Cafe Amaretto Chip Ice Cream



1 3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup 1% milk
1 cup sugar (reduce to 3/4 cup if you use mildly flavored coffee)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups decaf dark roast coffee beans (I use Italian Roast)

5 egg yolks
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp chocolate extract
1/4 tsp espresso powder
1/2 tsp almond extract

1/4 cup chocolate shavings (use a vegetable peeler to make rough shavings)


Combine first 5 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to just below a boil and remove from heat. Let steep for one hour.



Strain the coffee beans out of the mixture. Reheat it to just below boiling. Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks extracts and espresso powder until pale and frothy. Temper the eggs by slowing drizzling in hot cream mixture while whisking furiously. Return to pan and let cook over medium heat until it thickens enough to coat a spoon without running.



Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. Chill thoroughly. Freeze as directed in your ice cream maker. Add the chocolate shavings in the last 5 minutes of churning. Let set in freezer overnight.





OK - I admit, I'm becoming a homemade ice cream addict. This is turning into quite the binge. Interestingly enough, it's the process of making the ice cream I like most, as the 3 half eaten quarts in my freezer will attest. There's something miraculous about turning relatively runny eggs and cream into a thick custard and then swirling it until it's Arctic cold. And I take distinct pleasure in this defiance of the elements. It has already hit 100 today, but in my kitchen the AC is cranked up and the ice cream is churning. This is, in my opinion, the most fun way to keep cool (that is, until I can finance the big in-ground pool for the back yard).


2nd entry for You Scream, We Scream...

Strawberry Dreams

Since I am dying to see the new Sex and the City movie, I wanted to make something to pay homage to the innate girlyness found in the fashion, dating and alcohol soaked world of these New Yorkers. Just picked, very ripe strawberries pack this ice cream with way more punch than the supermarket version. It also takes on a brilliant feminine pink. Subtle lemon and mint make strawberry taste even brighter. This taste of summer is sure to cool you off, which is a good thing, with temperatures already approaching 100 degrees here in MD.

Strawberry Ice Cream



12 oz freshly picked strawberries, rinsed well and hulled
juice of a lemon
zest of a lemon
4 oz. sugar

1 recipe crème de menthe crème anglaise

Combine strawberries, juice, zest, and sugar in a blender. Pulse until only small chunks remain (you can puree until smooth if you don't like chunks in your ice cream). Mix together with crème anglaise. Prepare as directed in an ice cream maker, then let set in the freezer overnight.




BTW... this is my first You Scream, We Scream... entry. Another coming soon.

Tribute to Coconut Lime

As the lovely Rachel of Coconut & Lime approaches her 700th post, I'd like to recognize her for being an outstanding member of the foodie community. Her creativity is boundless and her site is simple and beautiful. I first came across it over a year ago (I don't even remember what brought me there in the first place). It was the first food blog I ever read and I was immediately hooked. I was already an avid cook, but it inspired me to start this blog. Lots of my early posts were modeled after hers until I found my own style. I still look to her site to reflect on my own pictures and posts, as well as for inspiration. My name, Vanilla Basil, was the result of a brainstorm of two ingredients that express my cooking personality, just as coconut and lime immediately tell you what a bright and intriguing person Rachel is. I also feel a culinary connection to her since she is a local Baltimore blogger, and I know many of the places she mentions in her chronicles.

So here's to Coconut Lime! This is a slightly sweet - slightly savory ice cream inspired by Thai flavors. There are two coconut elements (milk and syrup) and two lime elements (kaffir leaves in the ice cream and zest in the swirl). I've also noticed her frequent use of mangos lately, so that element completes this tribute.




Thai Coconut Ice Cream With Mango Lime Swirl

1 cup heavy cream
1 14 oz can light coconut milk
1/2 cup light rum
1 tsp coconut syrup or extract
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
2 large kefir lime leaves
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp salt
3 large whole green cardamom pods
2 tsp grated lemongrass
6 egg yolks
1/2 recipe mango lime swirl

Combine all ingredients except for egg yolks in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks in a stand mixer until pale and frothy. Slowly add 1/2 cup of coconut mixture to egg yolks while the mixer is on medium speed. Pour egg mixture into saucepan and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and chill for at least 3 hours, until very cold.

Add to an ice cream maker and freeze until soft set according to manufacture instructions. Fold in mango swirl by hand and freeze for 4 hours, or until hard.




You will only need 1/2 of this recipe. The remainder can be used as an awesome frozen mango margarita mix, or you can make more than one batch of ice cream.

Mango Lime Swirl

1 15 oz. can mangoes in light syrup, pureed in a blender until smooth
(canned really works better than fresh in this application)
the zest and juice of one lime
2/3 cup natural cane sugar

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and chill until very cold.



Postscript (6/14/08): This ice cream won the coconut lime bloggiversary contest and the heart of my future mother and law. It's a real showstopper!

Key Lime Strawberry Sherbet

3 c whole very ripe strawberries
1/4 c sugar (more or less to taste)
1/4 c key lime juice – if using fresh key limes also add the zest of one lime
1/4 c sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 c water
1/4 c fresh raspberries


Combine 2 1/2 c berries, sugar & lime juice in a small saucepan. Cook until berries soften. Cool, and combine in a blender with condensed milk, salt and water (if your strawberry mixture is watery, reduce the amount of water you add). Stir in remaining strawberries and raspberries. Pour into an ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacture’s directions.

****This recipe works equally well with fresh or frozen berries. Sometimes I substitute a store-bought premade strawberry puree. I also find that fresh key limes can be hard to find, but most supermarkets sell the juice in the cocktail, baking, or fruit juice aisle.