Soul Food/A Weekly Locavore Post
My friend Linda served homemade ice cream on Memorial Day. Until she brought it out, the four of us had been chatting away. Then we took the first bite.
Still fantasizing about the texture, the richness, and the ultimate simplicity of that dessert -- you don’t even need an ice cream maker -- I made two versions based on her recipe copied from the New York Times. I made one batch with heavy cream from the grocery store. I made the second with heavy cream from Ronnybrook Farm Dairy, purchased in a 12-fluid ounce bottle from my Inwood farmers’ market. Note foodies: the Ronnybrook organic version had a noticeably fuller flavor. But both impressed my friends, who couldn’t believe I only used three ingredients.
Here’s what you need:
1 cup cold heavy cream, standard or organic
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (14-ounce) can cold sweetened condensed milk
seasonal fruit
To make:
Whip heavy cream just until it begins to thicken. I used a hand-held mixer. Add vanilla and whip until soft peaks form. With mixer running, slowly pour in condensed milk and whip until high peaks form.
Transfer into a container or bowl for freezing. Freeze at least 4 hours or overnight. Try to find a rectangular storage container, for easier and more beautiful scoops.
Serve with farmers’ market strawberries, which are in season.
The beauty of this recipe is that you don’t need a lot of counter space, and you can’t mess it up. While real cream and condensed milk may be extremely fattening -- I didn’t bother counting calories -- one scoop is more satisfying than a whole pint of Ben and Jerry’s. It’s a mindful treat, perfect for a hot day.
Ann Votaw is a certified yoga teacher, freelance writer, and flexitarian who has more experience eating than cooking. If she can do it, you can too.
