A Post About Seitan

Seitan: the glutenous meat substitute. No, I’m not vegan, but I don’t eat meat often and some meats I leave out of my diet all together. I tried to become a vegetarian, but I ended up getting more unhealthy and feeling like crap. Some people say I must have not balanced my diet, but I’m a really healthy eater (besides the sweet tooth)! Anyway, I am surrounded by vegan cookbooks because I can’t eat most dairy products and I’m not a fan of butter (I think I just heard a gasp from all the foodies out there. I also don’t eat bacon). All in all, I think I’m a wannabe vegan.

The reason I made this seitan is because a) I have hated every glutenous meat substitute I had ever tried, and b) I want to use something other than tofu. I haven’t found a tempeh I like, for that matter, but I may have to explore more. I had enough unfortunate seitan experiences to leave me an adamant opposer of gluten-“meat.” However, I will never refuse a challenge, and my friend told me I should try to make my own, and even gave me a recipe to fiddle with. Well, I did, and I’m glad because it was delicious! Use it in sandwiches, as sausage, in stir fries, etc. It reminds me a bit of meat loaf, so you could serve it alongside mashed potatoes and gravy. It’s not hard to make, and you can adjust the spices for your taste preferences. I love cumin…

Seitan Loaves:

1 1/2 cups room temperature vegetable broth

5 cloves garlic, pressed (or 5 teaspoons crushed garlic)

3 tablespoons tamari

4 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup chickpea flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the veggie broth, garlic, tamari, tomato paste, and oil. 

In a large bowl, mix together the wheat gluten, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, oregano, paprika, and cumin.

 Form a well in the dry ingredients and pour the liquid ingredients in the well. Stir until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

On a clean surface, knead the dough for 3 minutes. Let it rest for another 10 minutes. Knead again for 30 seconds.

With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and lightly knead each piece for a few seconds. Shape each piece into an oblong loaf shape.

Use four 12-inch square pieces of aluminum foil. Place a piece of dough in the center and fold over the short sides of the square, then fold over the long sides. Leave the pouch a little loose for the dough to expand. 

Repeat with each square of foil and loaf. Place the wrapped dough pieces in a steamer basket and steam for 30 minutes. Allow the dough to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use after at least an hour of cooling, or up to 2 weeks. Yum!

I’m sorry I didn’t post this in time for the giving of thanks, but maybe you can have a seitanic turkey next year…hahahaha…

Giving Thanks

People have different reactions to Thanksgiving. It is a holiday that can stir up a lot of emotions: love, anger, outrage, togetherness, unity, thankfulness…It depends on who you are, where/how you were raised, and what your particular political leanings may be.

Thanksgiving is a big deal for my family. My mom sees it as the one holiday of the year where we all have to get together and be friendly to one another. This has made me really enjoy Thanksgiving, though I do get stressed out about it. However, we know our history very well and therefore have decided to make Thanksgiving about thinking good thoughts and being thankful now, rather than talking about pilgrims and all that jazz. We do make a lot of food and stuff ourselves silly, but most of our holidays involve that. Anyway, this year we had early Thanksgiving because we’ll all be in different parts of the country, but my mom cannot give up the one day of the year we make our favorite foods all at once.

In recent years, I have lost the ability to digest dairy, so I grieved for the pumpkin pie I thought I could never again eat (at least not without consequences). But my how the world is changing! This year, I made vegan pumpkin pie, and if anyone could tell the difference, no one told me. Spicy, custardy, and not-too sweet. Mmmmm mmm!

Punkin Pie:

The Crust:

Making your own crust is difficult. I’ve finally perfected the flakiness; now I just have to make it look nice. Make sure the shortening is in small pebbles before mixing in the liquid. Otherwise, you get little dimples in your crust where globs of fat used to be.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold shortening, cut into 1/2 tablespoon chunks (I use Earth Balance or Spectrum shortening)

2 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons (or more) ice water

2 tablespoons cold vodka

Directions:

Sift together the flours, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, crumble the shortening into the flour mixture. Continue to rub the shortening into small pebbles of fat. 

When the dough looks like coarse crumbs, you’re ready to add the liquid. Mix the apple cider vinegar, ice water, and vodka in a small bowl. Pour in one-third of the liquid, carefully mixing into the dry ingredients. Continue stirring in the liquid mixture until you can just form a soft ball with the dough. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

When you’re ready to fill your pie crust, tear off a piece of wax paper that is roughly 14-inches long. Dust lightly with flour. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the chilled dough until it is about 12-inches in diameter. Try to make the crust as circular as possible.

Slide your hand under the wax paper and flip the crust over into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the dough to fit.

The Filling:

You can use maple syrup, agave nectar, or a combination of the two to sweeten the pie. Agar powder is hard to find and not cheap, but it goes a long way. Do NOT substitute the flakes; you will be sorry if you do (I’ve done that before in my young ignorance).

3 cups of pureed pumpkin (freshly roasted is the best)

1/4 cup raw agave nectar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup plain almond milk

2 tablespoons sunflower (or other vegetable) oil

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca starch/flour

1 teaspoon agar powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Throw all the filling ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula. 

Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.

Bake for 40 minutes, then check to see if the crust is browning too quickly. If needed, put on one of those handy pie shields. If you don’t have one, wrapping the crust in aluminum foil works (though it’s harder to do).

Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the middle of the pie doesn’t jiggle anymore.

 Cool to room temperature, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Voila! Vegan pumpkin pie for all your Fall holiday needs.

A Roman Goddess in the Bay

Freshly made flat bread, baked in a hearth on wheels. Sounds pretty tasty, eh? Well, as if the bread weren’t enough, Vesta Flatbread went and stuffed it with delicious grilled chicken, fantastic harissa sauce, and pickled veggies. And that’s only one of the options! Every Saturday, they come to the Farmer’s Market in my neighborhood, and almost every Saturday I get to enjoy their amazing freshly made food. I have tried the breakfast sandwich, chicken plate, carrot pate sandwich, Vest-taters, and Vesta punch, and it is all delicious. The best, however, is the grilled chicken sandwich. Ben and my friend, Sarah agree: the best is the grilled chicken sandwich with those wonderful (and seasonal) pickled veggies. 

Nothing is without dairy here, unfortunately, but there is a gluten-free option and vegetarian choices. The breakfast sandwich has eggs, but no meat, and the carrot pate sandwich comes with a shredded beet salad inside. I haven’t tried the pork sandwich, as I don’t eat pig, but I am certain it must be tasty (for those who like pork). I am also anxious to try the cardamom nut cookies, as they sound and look scrumptious. I may even try to create my very own dairy-free version…hmmm…

 The flatbread is baked right in the truck itself, guaranteeing only the freshest of breads. There is always a line of people waiting to order, and to pick up, the fresh and local offerings of the Vesta truck. My suggestion would be to slather whatever you get in their “lazlo” hot sauce. So yummy! If you need it, you can also get your caffeine boost with iced turkish coffee. The Vesta punch has some black ice tea in it, but it definitely tastes more like a fresh and fruity juice than a tea. The strawberry limeade is fantastic. Not too sweet, and very refreshing.

The Vest folks were once part of that grand worker cooperative Arizmendi, which has bakeries in San Francisco, Oakland, and Emeryville. The whole story is on their web page, but, needless to say, they are bread experts. And they know how to accompany their bread. If you find yourself in a position to patron Vesta Flatbread, and are indeed hungry, try their food; it’s good, wholesome lunch! I don’t think I’ve ever been so fond of pita-like bread; usually it’s too dry or crumbly. This bread, however, is perfectly baked. Or, if you’re not digging the pita vibe, get a gluten-free plate and enjoy the stuffings on their own. The grilled chicken plate comes with that carrot pate and beet salad. Enjoy!

Tis The Pumpkin Season

As soon as I could, I began buying delicious sugar pie pumpkins for all my kitchen needs. I made pumpkin muffins (thrice), pumpkin risotto, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pancakes, and roasted pumpkin seeds (twice). Finally, yesterday, I made pumpkin ice cream. Delicious, creamy, spicy vegan pumpkin ice cream. I had been wanting to make this for quite a while, but I had put it off because I needed space in my freezer for the ice cream maker, and I needed to make a special trip for silken tofu and coconut milk. Sometimes laziness/lots of work foils my plans. However, I made the shopping trip on Friday, and picked up a pumpkin for carving as well! Not sure what the design will be, but I have some (unoriginal) ideas. Yay for carving patterns!

Here is the recipe for this tasty pumpkin ice cream. Remember, fresh roasted and mashed pumpkin makes everything tastier than canned pumpkin. Pick up a sugar pie pumpkin, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy bits (save the seeds for roasting), and bake the pumpkin at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until very easily pierced with a fork. Cool, scoop out the delicious flesh, and mash. Go about your pumpkin baking, cooking, and/or freezing! 

Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream: 

1/2 cup coconut cream (remember the can-in-the-fridge trick?)

6 oz firm silken tofu

generous 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup plain almond milk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions: 

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula.

 Make sure your ice cream maker is fully frozen (16-24 hours in the freezer). Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions (Cuisinart takes about 20 minutes).

Use a rubber spatula to scrape ice cream into an air-tight container and store in the freezer. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts of ice cream.

Provincial Cooking…Sort of…

Last month, the New York Times published a recipe for brandade, which is a French dish that is apparently considered “ordinary.” Well, I had never heard of it, and I am not really sure what makes this dish ordinary. It looked like a good challenge, especially since the recipe calls for creme fraiche, which I cannot properly digest. I made a few necessary modifications, and voila! It was quite scrumptious and not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. It made an excellent dinner, and it kept well for lunch the following day. As with most fish dishes, beware of small fish bones! They’ll get ya, if you’re not careful.

Now, I couldn’t find fresh salt cod, so I just got what ever cod I could find from the fish counter at my local market (maybe one day I’ll devote an entire post to Berkeley Bowl and it’s fantastic-ness). This is a recipe you can start in the morning and return to in the evening. You can even make the casserole the day before, but hold off baking it until you’re ready to eat. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. I’ve been around children for too long…Anyhoo, here’s the recipe:

Cod and Potato Brandade:

1 lb skinless (boneless, if you can find it) cod

1/2 cup creamy goat cheese

2 tablespoons unflavored almond milk

1 cup unflavored almond milk (don’t worry; it doesn’t effect the flavor at all)

1 large thyme sprig, or 2 small

1 bay leaf

5 peppercorns

2 allspice berries

1 clove

1 lb potatoes (I used Russet), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

6 large garlic cloves, peeled

1/3 cup olive oil

Pinch cayenne

Grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons margarine (I always use Earth Balance)

1/2 cup coarse bread crumbs

Directions: 

 

Rinse the fish well. Soak in 2 quarts of cold water in the refrigerator (or on the counter, if there’s no room in there). Drain and change the water every few hours. Or, if you keep it in the fridge, you can just soak it overnight without changing the water. Soak for at least 8 hours in total.

Prepare the “creme fraiche.” In a small bowl, whisk together the creamy goat cheese and 2 tablespoons of almond milk. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the cup of almond milk and 1 cup of water. Add the prepared cod, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, allspice, and clove. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily. Remove the fish, discard the rest.

In another pot, cover the potatoes with an inch of water and bring to a boil. Add the garlic cloves and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Drain, reserving both potatoes and garlic cloves.

Put the boiled garlic cloves in a small saucepan and crush them with a fork. Add the olive oil and heat until very warm. Set aside.

Put the potatoes in a large mixing bowl, or keep them in the saucepan you used in order to conserve dishes. Using your fingers, flake the cold on top. With a potato masher, blend the potatoes and fish. Drizzle in the warm garlic olive oil and mash. Add cayenne, nutmeg to taste, and lemon zest. Stir in 1/2 cup of the “creme fraiche” and beat well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Use 1 tablespoon margarine to grease a low-sided 1-quart baking dish. Transfer the potato mixture to the prepared dish and smooth the top. Spread 2 tablespoons of “creme fraiche” over the top of the brandade, and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Dot the top of the crumbs with the remaining margarine. This is the time to cover and refrigerate if you’re planning to eat the brandade the next day. Just remember to bring it to room temperature before baking.

Put the brandade in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Let sit for five to ten minutes, then serve.

 

P.s.

I’m planning on making holiday-themed food in the next few days. Look out for pumpkin ice cream and vegan pan de muerto! I know I’m excited.

 

Vegan Avocado-Strawberry Ice Cream

Creamy, fatty, healthy avocado. Yes, there are good fats and oils out there, and avocados have them in abundance! Of course, everything in moderation, so don’t eat two cups of this ice cream and think you’re in the free and clear. However, do enjoy modest servings of 1/2 cup and think about how awesome you are for enjoying your Vitamin E in a scrumptious, refreshing way.

This ice cream was born out of an idea stemming from a salad I made out of necessity: “Oh, that avocado is about to get too ripe, and those strawberries need eating. A salad perhaps?” As a side to dinner one night, I made a salad of spinach, avocado, strawberries, and balsamic glaze. It was fantastic! I got to thinking about how lovely the tart, crispness of the strawberries was in contrast to the creamy, subtlety of the avocados. Then, an idea dawned on me: avocado ice cream! With strawberries!! Yes, it must be done.

I went to work, found an avocado ice cream recipe I could adapt, and made that leap into the unknown. And I am a better person for it. Here it is, in all it’s creamy glory:

Avocado-Strawberry Ice Cream:

3 ripe avocados

1 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups soy creamer

1 cup plain soymilk

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped strawberries

(yes, that’s it)

Directions:

Halve the avocados, dispose of the pits (or start little avocado sprouts), and scoop out the yellow and green flesh. In a blender, combine the avocado flesh with the lemon juice, sugar, and soy creamer. Blend until smooth. 

Pour puree into a large bowl and whisk in the soymilk until well-incorporated.

Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to directions. In the last five minutes of freezing, add chopped strawberries. This ice cream may take a few extra minutes to stiffen up, so keep an eye on it until it gets to that ice cream consistency.

Top with balsamic glaze and enjoy!

This recipe makes about 1 1/2 quarts, so check the capacity of your ice cream maker.

Oh No!

So, I owe you all an apology. I have been neglecting this blog for almost three weeks! I promise that I will update soon. Work has been busy busy, so I’m not being as creative in the kitchen. I’m also eating at home more and not researching the food things I need to look up.

Hold on, I’m coming (in the immortal words of Sam and Dave).

A Look Into…the Portal!

Last weekend, my friend came over to pick up a kombucha mother and try some of my new kombucha brew. She suggested that we grab some lunch, and since we were at my place, we walked down to Portal. Portal opened about one month ago a short five minute walk from my apartment, and we had talked about checking it out. Very glad we did! The menu is short, but de-licious! Luckily, we are of one mind when it comes to eating delicious food (except that I don’t eat pork or red meat…) so we were able to get a sampling of several different dishes and some tasty cider. 

Our server was quite friendly and sat us outside on their sunny patio. It was moderately busy, but not overwhelming, and we didn’t have to wait for a seat. We both ordered the blackberry-pear cider, which was delightful! It came in a bottle, so now I know that I must hunt down Fox Barrel cider. After some debating over what would be a good tasting menu, we decided on our dishes and that we will return again to try the rest of the menu. We ordered the pickled plate, which had cauliflower, cuke pickles, olives, garlic, Brussels sprouts, and egg. Oh man, that was fantastic! My friend made a food face on her plate with the veggies and egg and we were  both quite amused.

For our brunch portion of the day, we had biscuits with mushroom gravy. I am a fiend for biscuits and (vegetarian) gravy. There’s a place in Portland called the Tin Shed, and when Ben and I were visiting last year I made sure we went twice for breakfast just so I could satisfy my hunger for biscuits and delicious gravy. Mmmmmmm mmm! The biscuits at Portal were divine! They were perfect, with their tender, flaky layers and buttery flavor. However, I did not feel weighed down at all after consuming my biscuit smothered in its gravy. That’s how you know it’s made from good stuff! The gravy itself was creamy and well-seasoned, though not particularly outstanding; it did complement the biscuits nicely. 

Finally, we shared two mini burgers. They have four different types: quinoa-tempeh, fried egg with turkey bacon, turkey, and beef. We tried the quinoa-tempeh and fried egg burgers. The fried egg is battered and fried, not just sunny side up or any of that. They were both fantastic, and they finished off our meal just right. The burgers are served with a side of coleslaw. The slaw didn’t have too much mayonnaise, which is great (I dislike mayo), though a little more flavor would be nice.

This place is lovely, with a wonderful patio and decent selection of beers. Not too bad in the price, pretty typical for this kind of place. It is cash-only. They have an ATM inside, but it comes with all those nasty fees. I want to go back for dinner to trysome Dueling Salmon.

An Ice Cream Sandwich for the Dairy-Free

 

It’s been one of those weeks where you constantly have that knot of stress inside your chest, worrying about what the heck you’re going to do and if it will all work out in the end. I still don’t have that answer, but I’m feeling more optimistic. And I realized that I left you hanging with the ice cream sandwich foreshadow so I needed to get on here when I had the chance. Unfortunately, we were too busy eating said ice cream sandwiches to remember to take a picture of one, so you’ll have to imagine a beautiful, pale pink ice cream spread between two sunny yellow cookies.

The cookies I made were inspired by a recipe from Bob’s Red Mill, but it is my own. These cookies are “buttery” and therefore quite fragile when they first come out of the oven. Let them cool for at least ten minutes before attempting to move them to a cooling rack. These lemon-cornmeal cookies made an excellent “bread” for the tomato-basil ice cream (recipe: A Summer Garden Ice Cream). Make sure the cookies are completely cool before you assemble the sandwiches or you’ll have quite a mess on your hands (and table).

Lemon-Cornmeal Cookies

1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about one lemon)

12 tablespoons margarine (I use Earth Balance), chilled

2 tablespoons lemon juice (from that one lemon)

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Stir in the zest. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the margarine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, egg yolk, and vanilla and pour into the flour mixture. Mix just until a dough forms.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead just until the dough comes together. Shape into a log with a diameter of about 3 inches (about 8 inches long). Wrap tightly in plastic, and chill for at leas two hours. You could just wait until tomorrow to finish the recipe, if you are short on time or just want to do other things with your day.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and slice into rounds about 1/4- to 3/8-inch thick. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheets with one inch between cookies. Bake until slightly browned, about 12 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on the sheets and then transfer to a cooling rack until cooled completely.

For the ice cream sandwiches, soften the ice cream for 20 minutes so it is easier to spread on the cookies. You can decide how much ice cream you want in your sandwich; I did about one inch. Spread the ice cream on one cookie. Place another cookie on top and fill in the space with more ice cream. Wrap the sandwich in wax paper. Repeat until you have about 8 or 9 sandwiches (or you can make less and have extra cookies and ice cream). Freeze the wrapped sandwiches for at least one hour. Remove sandwiches five minutes before eating so they are soft enough to eat.

The combination of the slightly sweet, tangy tomato-basil ice cream with the crispy, bright crunch of the lemon-cornmeal cookies was delightful! This is a perfect late-summer, early-autumn ice cream sandwich.

A Summer Garden Ice Cream

A few weeks ago, I was inspired to search for a recipe to make tomato-basil ice cream. During my visit to Ice Cream Bar in SF (full story: Jerking Around in Cole Valley), one of my friends ordered a dessert with basil ice cream. There was a huge bag of basil behind the counter, and we could smell it throughout our visit (I love me some basil). Later, I started thinking about how one would make basil ice cream (chop it up and throw it in, puree it, boil it, etc), when a thought struck me: basil is best friends with tomato, so why wouldn’t one team them up in an ice cream?! Oh man, I am brilliant.  So I got to work looking for a tomato-basil ice cream recipe. Most of the ones I saw looked alright, but not what I wanted. Plus, I had to make it vegan (or at least dairy-free), so I needed to find one that was vegan or easily adaptable.

Finally, I came across a recipe that caught my eye. Not vegan, but I figured out how I could turn my basic vanilla ice cream recipe into tomato-basil with some inspiration from the found recipe. Yay! And it just so happened that Ben and I had a whole bunch of wee tomatoes from our little garden, and our basil plant is nearing the end of its useful life, so we had the special ingredients already on-hand. Double Yay! I picked up some silken tofu and a can of full-fat coconut milk the day before I planned to make the ice cream. I put the can of coconut milk in the fridge, and waited for the next day (and by waited, I mean I watched Star Wars: Episode 3, baked hamburger buns, made turkey burgers, and made vegan eggplant “parmesean”).

Tomato-Basil Ice Cream:

1 cup almond milk (plus a bit extra)

1/2 cup packed basil leaves

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

pinch of salt

6 ounces firm silken tofu

1/2 cup coconut cream

generous 1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Pour the almond milk in a small saucepan. Add the basil leaves. Cover with a lid and bring to a near boil. Turn down the temperature to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool at room temperature for two hours, keeping the lid on the pot. When cool, strain out the basil leaves and press them to release any almond milk they’re trying to keep.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes with the vinegar and toss. Lay the tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet, cut side up. Sprinkle with salt. Place in the heated oven and cook for 30 minutes. Let cool at room temperature for almost one hour. Puree in a blender, then transfer to a small cup. Rinse the blender.

Measure out the basil milk. If it is less than one cup, add enough almond milk to bring the total amount to 1 cup. Place the silken tofu, coconut cream, sugar, pureed tomatoes, basil milk, and vanilla extract in the blender. Blend for 5 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. My Cuisinart was done in under 20 minutes.

Scrape the ice cream out of the machine and store in an air-tight container in the freezer for at least thirty minutes before serving. Serve garnished with quartered baby tomatoes, whole or shredded basil leaves, and/or balsamic glaze.

This is a really creamy, slightly tangy, not-too-sweet ice cream. It has a light pink color, which looks great with some fresh basil sprigs on top. (My pictures need a little work…) My new goal is to try this ice cream in an ice cream sandwich. I already have an idea for the cookie type, just need to find a recipe. I will update you when I am successful.