After days, weeks, really–of rain, my little herb garden on my patio was looking verdant and lush. I stood inside, looking at it and wondering what I could make with the herbs besides pesto sauce and flavoring of entrees. And then it hit me: what would be nice right now, after dinner? What would be good in the tropical heat and humidity? Duh, sorbet.
Blissfully unafraid of a culinary challenge, I gathered my ingredients from the garden and the fridge, cooked some stuff and and then tossed it all together in my ice cream maker. Thirty minutes of churning. And I just tasted it–pretty darned good. And pretty satisfying to find the particular flavors of basil and mint in an orange sorbet I made myself!
“The preparation of good food is merely another expression of art, one of the joys of civilized living.” – Dione Lucas
Here’s a recap (as much as I can remember, anyway) of what went in to it:
Orange Basil Mint Sorbet
3/4 C sugar + 1 1/4 C water. bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Use a veggie peeler to take the zest off 2 oranges & toss into the simmering sugar water. Cut a few basil and mint leaves into strips and toss into the water as well. Let it simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat to cool down a bit.
Strain out the solids. Juice the oranges, pour into the cooled down sugar water. Stir. (*IF* you have an adequate orange blossom extract, add some (1/2 t. to the sugar water).
Beat an egg white with a hint of confectioner’s sugar until peaks form. Incorporate the orange juice + sugar water into the egg white. Pour the whole she-bang into your ice cream maker. Churn for 30 minutes. Pour into little containers and freeze–or eat it right out of the ice cream maker.
If you want to impress people, like future in-laws, serve in glass bowls with a splash of Limoncello and a spring of mint.
“Some people like to paint pictures, or do gardening, or build a boat
in the basement. Other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen,
because cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing,
or wood carving, or music.” —Julia Child