Black Currant Ripple

Oh, the delights of a Western Washington summer! Strawberries, raspberries, huckleberries, blueberries, black currants, blackberries. 

They are bountiful and often free for the plucking at the edges of backyards, school yards and sides of trails. When spotted, they submit easily to the grabby fingertips of even the smallest berry-wanting hands that quickly smash the soft fruits - red and blue, black and juicy - into their desperate mouths.

But people. Let's not get carried away. Not yet. While we're talking summer around here, we must not forget about that most quintessential warm-weather treat of all: Ice cream.

Everybody has their favorite. Mine happens to be a really good, rich vanilla. The kind made with a yolky, custard base and bourbon vanilla beans. None of that extract business for me.

Now let's get back to the berry.

Recently, I was reading Nigel Slater's, Ripe, which features a number of beautiful frozen treats, some of which do not require an ice cream maker at all. If you haven't taken a look at this book, you absolutely should. His writing has a gracefulness that I appreciate and his approach to cookery (as the British say it) is both intuitive and filled with good sense.

One of the berry types that he highlights in this volume is the black currant. When I acquired some from Sumas River Farm, I went home immediately to see what Slater had to say about it.

I was immediately struck by his use of the word "strident." 

These berries, which I had only seen before in the form of jelly, were dark and covered with a slight bloom. Their appearance reminded me of a smaller, rounder purple grape. 

Interesting, I thought. Surely strident was an extreme way to describe a berry. Didn't that word usually go along with controversial political topics which pundits shouted angrily about on TV?

I decided to taste a few berries in raw form (even after Slater's warning that black currants must be cooked). They were, uh, well, let's just say highly opinionated might be a bit of an understatement, as would mouth puckering.

Unsure of how to proceed, I yanked them off their stems (yank being the correct word, as they were quite stubborn in their position of non-cooperation during the entire procedure even as my fingertips became stained with what I can only describe as the color black). I threw them into a small saucepan, along with a couple tablespoons each of water and sugar. 

It only took a minute or two for the berries to burst. I removed them from the stove and pushed the entire amount through a sieve to remove skin and as many seeds as possible. I poured the black-purple sauce into a jar and plunked it onto a shelf in the fridge.

I went on with the business of my day.

A week passed before I suddenly remembered the puree. I had to do something with it! Calmly, I decided to follow Slater's advice. I stirred a few spoonfuls into a just-churned vanilla ice cream to make a ripple.

For those of you unfamiliar with ripples, they are a British concoction made of vanilla-based ice cream with some fruit puree simply mixed in. The traditional version contains raspberry and I understand the pink-swirled sweet is well-loved by many a Briton, child or adult.

Here's a version featuring that stubborn, strident fruit. Yes, the black currant. Let's just say it's a berry with a strong personality, which makes it a perfect partner to sweet, creamy vanilla.

When streaked through with the super-tart, almost-astringent flavor of the black currant, the vanilla ice cream is elevated into a better, multi-dimensional version of itself. The whole thing pops and cartwheels off your palate. 

Let us use the appropriate word to describe the Black Currant Ripple. If heavenly doesn't suit you, maybe the better choice would be...Divine?

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Sweet meets strident = perfection!

Black Currant Ripple

Ingredients
For the vanilla base:
1 vanilla bean
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar

For the fruit puree:
1/2 pint black currants, removed from their stems
1-2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons sugar 

Instructions
To make the fruit puree:
Give your fruit a good rinse. Place berries in a small saucepan. Add water and sugar. Over medium heat, cook just until the berries burst. Remove from heat. Pour mixture through a sieve and push through to remove skin and seeds. Set puree aside. Puree can be made up to a week ahead.

To make the vanilla base:
With a sharp paring knife, split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds into a medium saucepan. Add the vanilla pod, milk and cream. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil and turn off and remove from heat immediately. Cover and allow flavors to infuse for at least 30 minutes.

After the flavors have infused, return the saucepan to the stove. Over medium heat, rewarm the mixture. Turn off heat as soon as it comes to boil.

Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Whisk a couple of tablespoons of the cream mixture into the egg yolks and sugar. Slowly add a few more tablespoons, whisking constantly. At this point you can add the remaining cream mixture in a slow, steady stream as you continue to whisk. Pour the mixture back into the pot and return it to the stove.

Over medium heat, cook the custard mixture for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Make sure you scrape the bottom and the sides of the pan. The custard will thicken and when it is done it will just coast the back of your wooden spoon/spatula. Strain the mixture into a bowl that is smaller than your ice bath. Place your bowl of custard into the ice bath to cool, stirring the mixture. 

Place the custard in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours but overnight is best as it will allow your ice cream to achieve the creamiest consistency. Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

After removing ice cream from machine, place half in a freezer-proof container. Place a few spoonfuls of puree over the vanilla and then swirl it through. Place the remaining half of the vanilla ice cream over the first layer. Scoop remaining puree over the vanilla and swirl through that layer. 

Place in freezer for a few hours before enjoying. 

Makes 1 quart.

p.s. Don't forget to wash off your vanilla bean pods and let them dry completely before tossing them into your jar of sugar. You'll have vanilla sugar in no time, which you can use for your next batch of ice cream!

Recipe adapted from Suzanne Goin and David Liebovitz. And, of course inspired by Nigel Slater.

Coffee Jelly with Chantilly Cream

It’s hot out. Finally.

I heard someone say in passing the other day that the summers here in Western Washington don’t technically start until July 5th.

That’s only if we’re lucky.

If it’s a year when we aren’t so fortunate, we’re still wearing our rain coats through July, pulling up our pant legs to look at our pasty-white ankles and turning on the heat while wondering why we have chosen to live up here.

Then August arrives. And we remember why.

Using the word glorious to describe what it’s like here then is to thoroughly undersell the very brief - but glorious - summers we do enjoy.

Clear blue skies. The smell of cedar and cool earth in the woods. The lake sparkling, stretching out nearly eight miles in the sunlight, from Blodel Donovan to Lakewood and beyond.

Right now we’re in the midst of a two-week period where temperatures are heading into the mid-to-high 80's. Yes, we are getting dangerously close to “glorious” here.

When it’s like this, your mood switches. As you meander along the trails snacking on huckleberries and wild cherries, things seem possible. Life isn’t closed off. Light is streaming in!

It’s “real” summer.

This morning, the weather made me think of my brother. Warren lives in always-sunny Southern California.

I remember describing to him what it’s like to live here. That during the shortest, rainiest days it is only by dreaming of the short burst of summer (someday) that we are able to get through the dark months.

“God, it’s like you live in Siberia,” He said.

Whenever we are visiting him in Southern California, we make a point of stopping at our favorite Japanese curry place inside a Little Tokyo mini-mall.

After the rich curry, Warren often orders coffee jelly. It’s slightly bitter, creamy and caffeinated. Even with milk or whipped cream topping it, it’s a refreshing dessert that never feels heavy or decadent.

Coffee jelly might seem a little weird at first, but if you’ve had Boba tea, the milky tapioca drinks that all of Asia and much of the rest of the world have long been wild about, it will fall easily into your comfort zone.

It’s good. Trust me.

There are as many ways to enjoy coffee jelly as there are ways to make a cup of coffee. If you like milk, pour some over the jelly. Want ice cream? That’ll do. Condensed milk Vietnamese style is another route worth exploring.

I like mine fairly unadorned, just whole milk and a generous spoonful of Chantilly cream – a softly whipped cream with small amounts of sugar and vanilla added. If you like more of a flourish, add a dusting of cocoa powder or raw cacao. Cinnamon might be nice.

A couple of additional notes. Initially, I used less liquid, which made the jelly too firm for my liking. But, if you prefer a less wobbly result, decrease the liquid by ¼ cup and your jelly will be more resilient.

And, because there are so few ingredients in this dessert, do use the best you have. In our home, we prefer Tony’s Coffee, a local roaster who produces rich and complex coffees.

We’re also somewhat particular about our dairy. We use non-homogenized, vat-pasturized organic cow's milk and cream. We also consume raw milk from a local producer whose cows are wholly grass-fed.

If your preference is for non-dairy, leaning toward almond or coconut milk, use that.

Choose what you like. That’s the beauty of it.

Happy Summer to all! Hopefully it is here to stay.

Coffee Jelly with Chantilly Cream

Ingredients
For the Coffee Jelly:
2 envelopes powdered gelatin (1/2 oz.)
1 3/4 cups very hot double-strength brewed coffee
½ cup cold double-strength brewed coffee
1 ½ Tablespoons sugar

For the Chantilly Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

Cold whole milk for assembly of final dessert

Instructions
Coffee Jelly: Set aside a small glass square- or rectangular-shaped container. A small glass loaf pan will also work. You want your jelly mixture to reach 3/4 to an inch of height when you fill the container. You can spray the container with an aerosol oil (such as coconut) or later just place the pan in some warm water to allow for easier release of the jelly.

In a medium bowl, sprinkle gelatin on top of cold coffee. Allow to stand for 1 minute.

Add sugar to hot coffee. Stir to dissolve. Add hot coffee to gelatin mixture and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.

Pour coffee mixture into your prepared container. Place flat in refrigerator to allow jelly to set. This will take a minimum of two hours. I like to make mine the night before serving.

Chantilly Cream:
Just before serving, place whipping cream and vanilla extract into mixing bowl. Add confectioner’s sugar by sifting in (optional – I don’t always do it). With an electric mixer, whip initially on low to combine ingredients then turn up to medium-high. This goes quickly. You will have soft peaks in 1 ½ minutes.

Assembly: Once jelly is set, cut into bite-size cubes. It’s easy to lift cubes out of the pan with an offset spatula or even a butter knife.

Place cubes in glass. Pour milk over the jelly. Top with one or two spoonfuls of Chantilly cream and any other additions to your liking.

Enjoy!

Serves 4.

Pot de Creme with Roasted Strawberries

Have you seen all the roasted strawberry ice cream recipes floating around the internet lately?  

Okay, I had to try one. I chose David Liebovitz’, which also includes miso. But, I skipped the miso since I didn’t have any. And, I used my neighbor Heather’s ice cream machine, which she lent to me while she was out of town.

This ice cream! My, was it delicious.

If you haven’t made it already, you should. It is incredible: A creamy vanilla base streaked through with sweet-tart, deeply-flavored strawberries.

Roasting the fruit removes much of the water and cooking it with the syrup helps prevent the fruit from freezing into icy bits. Instead, while in the oven, the strawberries develop a complexity worthy of partnership with the cream-and-custard base.

After Heather returned, I gave the machine back (and have been contemplating buying one ever since). Yes, fresh ice cream is incomparable.

I know there are many ice cream recipes out there which don't require a machine, including some by Nigella Lawson. I just haven't tried them yet. But I will. Soon.

Today, though, I was craving flavors similar to that strawberry ice cream. The David Liebovitz one. 

I made this instead.

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Nothing plain Jane about this custard...

Pot de crème is basically an egg custard. It is a simple and often considered by some as a homely sort here in America, where the general preference runs toward more showy, decadent desserts whose names suggest the idea of sin.

Sometimes though, all I want is a little sweetness and nothing over the top. As I made my pot de creme today, I remembered eating an ethereal, just sweetened steamed custard before bedtime as a child. 

I encourage you to embrace the humble custard. Classic ice cream begins with a custard, so why not choose this?

I made the same roasted strawberries from the David Liebovitz recipe and put them in the bottom of a glass topped with a vanilla custard. Then, I put the whole thing into a water bath in the oven. After my custards cooled a bit, I spooned just a tad more of the strawberries and syrup over each one.

Not ice cream. Not David Liebovitz’ most delicious ice cream ever, but a good second choice. Which I'd say is not a bad thing at all.

Here’s to being Number Two! 

P.S. If you want to be a real American about it, a good dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top would also be divine.

Pot de Crème with Roasted Strawberries

Makes 6 small custards (in 4-6 ounce ramekins). Or, make fewer but larger ones, if you wish!

Ingredients
For the Roasted Strawberries
1 dry pint strawberries, hulled
1 ½ Tablespoons golden syrup or honey
¼ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
A couple of turns of fresh black pepper

For the Custard
2 1/3 cups half-and-half
1 vanilla bean, split in half
5 large egg yolks
¼ cup evaporated cane sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
Roasted Strawberries: 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Cut berries into quarters. Place in a wide, shallow dish. Drizzle golden syrup and balsamic vinegar over the berries. Sprinkle pepper on top. Place on top rack of oven. Stir once or twice during the cooking process. Allow to cook for 30-40 minutes, until berries are softened, have darkened a bit and syrup has become thickened.

Add a tablespoon to the bottom of each ramekin; set aside. (Strawberries may be prepared up to three days ahead and refrigerated.)

Custard:
Preheat oven to 320 degrees.

In a saucepan, place half-and-half. Using a small paring knife, scrape in vanilla seeds from split bean and toss in the pod itself. Bring to a gentle boil then remove from the pot. Allow to infuse for a minimum of 30 minutes. Use a fine sieve, strain the liquid. The half-and-half should remain warm to the touch.

In a bowl, beat the yolks with the sugar. Pour the infused half-and-half slowly, whisking the mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into your ramekins or jars, making sure to remove any foam that might have formed on the surface.

Set jars in a pan and fill half way up the sides of the jars with warm water. Cover tightly with foil. Place in oven and cook for 40-45 minutes, until the custard is jiggly but not set.

Top with remaining roasted strawberries and/or sweetened whipped cream.

Note: Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days after warming up at room temperature. But these are best when still slightly warm! 

Adapted from/inspired by the amazing David Liebovitz.

Fresh Strawberries with Roasted Spiced Nuts and Seeds

Hey Strawberries! You’re back! And I sure am glad.

I picked up some beautiful ‘Hood’ strawberries from Spring Frog Farm at the Holistic Homestead's farmer's market stand yesterday. They were juicy, sweet and everything I expect the perfect strawberry to be.

After savoring a bunch directly from the basket, I decided to dress them up a bit just for fun.

Growing up in our family of Chinese immigrants, we weren’t big on dessert. No whipped cream, stacked napoleons, baked profiteroles. There was nary a meringue to be found.

Instead, we had fresh fruit after our meals. Usually succulent San Bernadino navels, nibbles of tart, floral kumquats and other local citrus.

With six kids around, there was no time for dressing up fruit or much else, anyway. For us, the fruit we gobbled down already tasted delicious on its own - peeled, segments separated, our hands sticky with fresh juice and oils from the citrus zest.

For my newly-acquired berries, I wanted the dress up to be fairly simple. I thought about Morrocco. I wanted some nuts, seeds and honey. Maybe I would also add some spices.  

I used some local honey and hazelnuts I had and added in the richness of pine nuts. Ground pepper and coriander seemed like they could become fast friends with the strawberries.

This is what came out of my experiment. It is a tasty and easy recipe to fiddle around with on a relaxed weekend day.

Use any nuts or seeds you have on hand. Adjust the spices. Play!

Fresh Strawberries with Roasted Spiced Nuts and Seeds and Honey

Ingredients

Half a pint of fresh strawberries, quartered 
3 tablespoons hazelnuts (or any other nuts and seeds of your choosing) 
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
½ teaspoon coriander, ground
2 teaspoons thin honey
Lemon zest for garnish, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place quartered strawberries in small bowl.

Prepare baking sheet by placing small piece of parchment or silicone mat on pan. In another small bowl, combine nuts, seeds, butter, pepper and coriander. Place mixture on baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake for 7 minutes.

Remove nuts and seeds from oven. Pour honey over to combine.  Cool slightly then spoon over the strawberries. 

Garnish with lemon zest if desired.

Enjoy this sweet and tart, floral and peppery concoction immediately. The pepper lingers on the tongue, an echo of the delicious flavors of which you have just partaken.

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Not a morsel left. It was that delicious.