Little Indulgences
Visited my accountant yesterday to file my taxes. And, happily, I'm getting a lovely return this year. Wahoo!!!
So, what did I do with the moolah? Spend a day at the spa? Buy myself a pair of Jimmy Choo's?
Nah and nah.
I decided to indulge in a different kind of purchase - a piece of kitchen equipment that I'd been coveting for a long time - a chinois strainer.
And, no sooner did I go crazy and drop the whopping $69.95 on the lovely mesh specimen, when I decided to put it to work.
It was a beautiful sunny day, but I couldn't resist. My kitchen called to me. And, now I had a new toy in my culinary sandbox.
What could I prepare that allowed me to take full advantage of my sparkling, new sieve, while paying homage to the onset of spring?
I knew the second that I passed the fruit stand. Strawberries beckoned. The chinois was the perfect device to separate their fragrant, sweet pulp from the berries' miniscule seeds. But, these were just good strawberries - not great - not at their summer peak. What could I do to heighten their flavor and bring out their absolute best?
Mint.
And, here's my recipe for Strawberry Mint Sorbet. It won't be done until tomorrow, when I can throw the bright pink liquid base into my ice cream machine, with some finely minced mint for good measure. But, I did slurp a little spoonful from the bowl before setting it in the fridge for tomorrow's final bout in the 'scream machine.
It tasted like spring had officially sprung - on my tongue.
Worth every penny. Thanks Uncle Sam!
STRAWBERRY MINT SORBET
4 cups quartered strawberries
1 1/2 cup water
1 3/4 cups sugar
Fresh mint
2 TBSP lemon juice
After quartering strawberries, place in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar. Set aside for 1 - 2 hours at room temperature. Place 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup water in a small pot, heat until it bubbles up into a low boil. Turn off heat and add 2 generous sprigs of mint. Let sit at room temperature to cool for 1 - 2 hours.
Place well-rested berries and sugar in food processor or blender with 1/2 cup water - pureeing until smooth. Strain well. Add lemon juice. Remove mint from sugar water and add to strained berry mixture.
Chill in refridgerator for 3 hours or overnight. Finely mince a large handful of mint. Place berry liquid base in ice cream maker. Follow manufacturer's instruction. Midway through processing, sprinkle 3 TBSP of the finely minced mint into the mixture. Once sorbet is fully processed, freeze until it reaches the desired consistency.