Showing posts with label pluots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pluots. Show all posts

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Pluot Ice Cream for a Summer Chillin' #SundaySupper

Pluot Ice Cream for a Summer Chillin' #SundaySupper




Last Sunday while you were probably reading my London Broil dish, I was at the Irvington Farmer's Market in Fremont, California. I was there for an upcoming project but I couldn't help but notice some other items while I was there. It was a rare instance of allowing myself to be susceptible to impulse purchases. It was interesting because I had browsed the market a couple of weeks prior to my most recent visit and noticed a few ingredients that were there this time around that weren't there in the past. It's a great measure of what produce is in season and at its peak. One fruit on sale that day by many of the farmers present that had piqued my interest was the pluot. I inquired with one of the vendors selling them and she noted it's sweet flavor so, with this week's #SundaySupper theme in mind, Summer Chillin', (hosted by Alaiyo of Pescetarian Journal) I thought it might make a great ice cream.

The Challenge

Prepare a dish using an ingredient bought spontaneously

The Source

I adapted the pluot pureé from Earthbound Farm's website to the ice cream base from Fine Cooking magazine's website.

Ingredients

1 pound firm pluots (approximately 5), peeled, quartered and pitted
2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided
Juice from 1 lemon
5 egg yolks
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup 1% or 2% low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Method

1. Prepare the pureé. Combine 2/3 cup sugar, pluot quarters, and lemon juice in a small skillet over low heat. Stir until the sugar melts and the pluots soften, approximately 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat to allow the mixture to cool. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a blender or food processor and pureé until smooth. Transfer the pureé to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.


2. Prepare the ice cream base: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar and the egg yolks until just broken up. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, sugar, milk and salt over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches a slight simmer, then reduce the heat. Whisk 1 cup of the cream mixture into the egg yolks slowly so the eggs don't scramble. Pour the egg-cream mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring continually until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and can hold it's shape when you draw a line on the back with your finger. Strain the mixture into a clean bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight along with the pureé.


3. Once cool, whisk the pureé into the base and churn according to your ice cream machine manufacturer's instructions. Once finished serve in chilled bowls.


Successful?

This dish will be the first of several dishes I will publish over the course of the next few weeks using the produce I brought home that day from the farmer's market. I was a little concerned that it might be too sweet due to the amount of sugar added to both the pureé and the base but thankfully, that was not the case. There was also another minor challenge of successfully taking photographs of the dessert before it melted. It definitely was one of my faster photo shoots, however what helped was the glass bowl I used which I put in the freezer the night before.

Before you go, check out the other chilled dishes that are offered for this week's #SundaySupper:

Brisk Beverages
Chilled Starters
Snappy Salads and Sides
Refreshing Main Dishes
Cool Confections
Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.