There are many things I love about our new home.  Friendly neighbors, an attic, packages delivered to my front door.  A real dining room.  Stairs!  The neighborhood is wonderful; we’re in walking distance to downtown as well as a beautiful trail for nature walks.  After years of living next to a fire station, we now enjoy quiet evenings (and as the world’s lightest sleeper, I really appreciate this).  I’m excited about having a real Halloween in the fall where costumed children come to my door for treats (I promise not to give them boxed raisins even though I hate keeping candy around).  I have to say, though, my favorite thing about home ownership so far is our large back deck.  I finally have a garden!  I still squeal with excitement every time I see a new veggie:
I’ve been growing three types of tomatoes: heirloom, cherry and grape. Â I’m also growing strawberries, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, jalapenos, bell peppers, and pretty much every herb I can get my hands on. The herbs have been an interesting experience. Â For the first time ever, I actually have MORE herbs than I know what to do with as opposed to in the past when I’d have to pay way too much and then struggle to finish them all in time. Â Suddenly I find myself making quite a bit of pesto, herb marinades and my guilty summer pleasure: fresh herb ice cream. Â I’ve been making basil ice cream for years and now my mind is brimming with possibilities. Â Rosemary citrus ice cream. Â Lavender honey ice cream. Â Have you tried any combinations worth recommending?
Basil mint is my favorite combination at the moment.  It’s a real crowd pleaser!  I’ve used a LOT of herbs in this recipe.  You can get away with using less, but the flavor will be more subtle.  The jury is still out for me on whether blanching the herbs makes a noticeable difference.  My culinary school instructors insisted this is the way to go so I continue to blanch the herbs.  It apparently brings out the flavor, and the wilting certainly makes managing such a large quantity of herbs easier.  You can adjust the ratio of cream and milk as long as you use two cups total.  For an incredibly rich ice cream, use all cream. If you prefer the ice cream a bit lighter, use a mixture of half cream and half milk.
Basil Mint Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 ounces basil
- 1 ounce mint
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- 5 ounces sugar
- vanilla extract
- optional: 2-3 drops green food coloring
Instructions
- Quickly blanch the basil and mint in boiling water and then transfer the herbs to an ice bath to halt the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
- Add cream, milk and a splash of vanilla to a saucepan on medium heat. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
- While the cream is warming up, whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Make sure they’re well combined.
- When the cream is just starting to simmer (don’t boil it), slowly temper it into the yolks while whisking.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and turn the heat down to medium low. Stir in a figure 8 motion for several minutes until the mixture coats the back of a wood spoon or rubber spatula. Remove from the heat and add the herbs.
- Puree the basil, mint and cream in a blender. Allow the mixture to infuse for at least an hour for best flavor. Strain the cream through a fine mesh strainer and allow to chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
- If using, stir in a few drops of green food coloring.
- Make ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
Monet says
Just gorgeous. The color and I’m sure the taste are phenomenal. And how I wish I had a set of stairs! Thank you for sharing!
Lan says
i also love basil + mint, tho not with dairy doom. :( i am incredibly jealous that you’re able to consume ice cream tho.
i am also so jealous of your deck garden! we have plants galore in the abode but nothing edible.
Christine says
This might sound weird, but I love that you love your new home — I’m living vicariously here, since one day I dream of having a balcony and a separate bedroom (steps, a yard, and an attic can come later)!
Anyways, basil ice cream = yes! Looks delicious. I think strawberry and sage are delicious together, and so is lemon and thyme. :)
frugalfeeding says
Congrats on the new house – it must be fantastic to have a dining room! This ice cream is a triumph. A perfect colour and a really delicious flavour.
Lindsey says
Looks wonderful! I just started making my own ice cream, and this is a great way to use my backyard basil! Also going to experiment with some of my rosemary too!
Karen says
i have had basil sorbet which I loved. Your ice cream sounds so refreshing. If you don’t use the food coloring…is the ice cream still green?
Savory Simple says
No, it just looks like a muddled vanilla. I go back and forth about food coloring. It grosses me out in a lot of ways but when you see basil ice cream or strawberry frosting, you’re expecting the color and I think it winds up enhancing the flavor.
Karen says
I have to agree with you.
spree says
Brilliant! I’ll definitely churn this up! Love basil in desserts and the combination of mint and basil is heavenly. So happy for you in your new house with its attic, its stairs, its neighbors and its garden!! (One sure secret to a happy life is to never stop shrieking with excitement!) Wishing you much!
duffiebyday says
I love that you made ice cream from your garden. It is unexpected and unexpected is good.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
This sounds so refreshing and summery. Lucky you and your vegetable garden!
bitsandbreadcrumbs says
Your ice cream looks amazing and is such a pretty color! Congrats on your new home and your little veggies. I’m a very light sleeper, too so can appreciate how important the quiet is and how welcome!
Jennifer M. says
Thank you for helping me with my basil problem! I just couldn’t eat any more pesto right now ;)
Now if you can come up with some zucchini ice cream (or something), that would be most helpful. I am inundated with zucchini!
I did make some Pina Colada marmalade (using zucchini), but my friends said it looked like worms :( It tasted great, though. So I’m not sharing with them.
The Scrumptious Pumpkin says
Oh, how I love basil ice cream! Love the photo too – Pinning this one! :)
Riley says
It’s so hot, I’m living on ice cream lately. This looks great!
TheWhiteRamekins says
wow….mint and basil…it couldn’t be more refreshing both to the palate and to the eyes
Jessica says
Oh this is such a refreshing flavor! Love it!