Roasted Blueberry Ice Cream with Balsamic and Goat Cheese

I have to give full credit to my oldest daughter, ButterYum Jr, for making this amazing ice cream after finding the recipe by Kayley on a wonderful blog called Kitchen McCabe.  Roasting the blueberries with really good quality balsamic vinegar intensifies their flavor and adding goat cheese gives the ice cream a tangy quality and satisfying chewy texture.  It's brilliant.  

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• my favorite ice cream scoop https://amzn.to/3fBZyUI

• ice cream storage container https://amzn.to/3fB5gGj

• ice cream maker https://amzn.to/2YQdmFh

• microplane grater https://amzn.to/2SSGxng

• mesh sieve https://amzn.to/3cmchbY

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Roasted Blueberry Ice Cream with Balsamic and Goat Cheese

makes 2 quarts

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries

• 1 tablespoon very good quality balsamic vinegar

• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, divided

• pinch of fine salt

• 3 large egg yolks

• 4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. In a 1 or 2-quart oven-safe casserole dish, combine the blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and the balsamic vinegar; toss well and roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes, then remove from oven and set aside until needed.

3. In a medium bow., beat egg yolks and set aside until the milk mixture is warm (step 4).

4. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1 cup milk, salt, and remaining sugar until the milk begins to steam.

5. Slowly pour about half of the milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks, beating constantly to prevent the yolks from curdling.

6. Pour yolk mixture into the the saucepan containing the remaining milk mixture and return to heat; whisking constantly until it thickens.

7. Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl; whisk in the goat cheese, remaining milk, cream, and lemon juice until fully combined.

8. Puree roasted berries (including all their juices) in a blender or food processor until smooth; whisk into custard base until fully combined.

9. Pour ice cream mix through a sieve to remove any residual solids; chill in an airtight container for at least 4 hours or overnight (mixture should be 40F or less before processing in an ice cream machine.

10. Process mixture in ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions; transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container for storage.

11. Allow ice cream to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before scooping.

recipe adapted from The Kitchen McCabe

Swiss Chard with Bacon and Garlic

Swiss chard is my favorite dark leafy green, and my favorite way to prepare it is to saute it with a little garlic and bacon, then, just before serving, I add a splash of red wine vinegar to balance the sweet and savory flavors - oh my goodness, it's so darn good!  Some people discard the stems, but I think they add a lovely texture to the dish.  If you can find rainbow chard, buy it - the color variations make for an even more appetizing dish.  

Start with beautiful swiss chard leaves.  Carefully cut the stems from the leafy parts. Don't throw away those stems - we're going to cook them too. Cut the leafy parts into 3/4-inch thick ribbons.

Cut the stems into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Saute chopped bacon in a dry pan over medium heat.

Cook the bacon the way you like it.  I like it chewy. Remove the bacon from the pan and reserve until later.  Time to cook garlic and crushed red pepper flakes in the bacon drippings.

Mmmm.  Stir them around for 30 seconds, then add the chopped stems and water to the pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until the water evaporates.  The water serves two purposes - it will keep the garlic from burning, and it will deglaze the pan so all those brown bits from the pan flavor the swiss chard. Mmmm.  Getting hungry yet?

Add the leafy ribbons to the pan and stir for about a minute until the leaves wilt and deepen in color. Remove the pan from the heat and add the reserved bacon. And lastly, the secret ingredient - add a splash of red wine vinegar and give everything a toss.  Don't skip this step - it adds something magical and you won't regret it.

Dig in!

Items used to make this Recipe:

(affiliate links)

• large rondeau https://amzn.to/2zlxQuJ

• red wine vinegar https://amzn.to/2Wibtzi

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Swiss Chard with Bacon and Garlic

makes 2 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 stalks swiss chard, washed

• 2 strips thick bacon, cut into 1/2-inch slices

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar (or more to taste)

Directions

1. Prepare swiss chard by separating the tender green leaves from the stems; keeping both parts.

2. Slice stems crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices; slice tender leaves crosswise into 3/4-inch thick strips; keep separate.

3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the bacon until it reaches your desired level of doneness. I like it to stay a little on the chewy side.

4. Lower heat and remove bacon from pan; reserve.

5. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes to the bacon drippings that are leftover in the pan; stir for about 30 seconds, or until you can smell the garlic.

6. Immediately add the chopped stems and water to the pan; increase heat back to medium-high and stir frequently until most of the water evaporates.

7. Add the sliced leaves to the pan and stir constantly for about a minute until the color deepens and the leaves wilt a little.

8. Remove from heat and add the reserved bacon and red wine vinegar; stirring well to combine.

9. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.