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 :)
Reem says
Congrats on the new house!!
I wish you Happiness, Health and peace in your new nest…
This Ice cream looks fabulous!!
Jenn and Seth ( says
oh wow, this is a beautiful ice cream! sounds so delicious!
notsoskinnycook says
That looks so refreshing! Never have had basil Ice cream. I am saving this recipe.
Carolyn Chan says
Congratulations on the new home ! And how wonderful that you have a garden to grow things in. I love this ice-cream !
2 Rivers Photos says
Looks so delicious :)
emmycooks says
Oh, yum. I’m picturing a little scoop of this on top of a bowl of sweet strawberries!
Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide says
You always take the best ice cream shots. I bet that means you make great ice cream! How can it not be? Look at it!
Asiya says
Ice cream looks so refreshing…perfect for summer..and I have basil and mint growing in my backyard just waiting for this ice cream!! :)
Amy (Savory Moments) says
Oh, this ice cream looks so refreshing and so very delicious.
daisy says
First of all, isn’t home ownership wonderful, especially when it comes with some space to grow all kinds of wonderful fruits and vegetables. I love my garden, and I love to cook with fresh herbs, and all I have to do is go outside and snip it myself. The fragrance of fresh herbs is unbelievable.
Now, this ice cream sounds awesome and very refreshing for the summer. I love the beautiful green color. It’s definitely time for ice cream. Every blog I read is posting a delicious ice cream recipe. I’m trying to write my post on the rhubarb ice cream, and it’s slow going. It seems as if I’ll finish the ice cream way before I actually write about it.
Congrats on your new home!
daisy
rebeccasubbiah says
congrats on the new home so happy for you what a cool ice cream flavor
ceciliag says
and what a gorgeous colour, i have the cream, i simply must get an ice cream maker.. so wonderful that you are happy in your new home! good for you honey! c
yummychunklet says
I live a block from a fire house, so I appreciate the awesomeness of your quiet neighborhood now!
crunchycreamysweet says
I totaly envy you your garden, especially the herbs. Your ice cream sounds so refreshing and creamy! Love it!
jothetartqueen says
love it that you have a garden now and you are growing so many herbs, vegetables and fruits! have not tried basil and mint ice cream..will do so soon! lovely photos!