sweet miscellany

Summer is winding down and it’s a bit bittersweet. On the one hand I love all of the fruits and veggies it brings, but on the other I dislike the constant layer of sweat lying atop my skin. I think I will miss the berries most of all. Oh, the berries. I think I consumed almost 4 pints of blueberries in one week. I was pretty much in a berry coma. But alas, their season is done here and they are giving way to stone fruits which will slowly disappear, too.

In an effort to enjoy some late summer produce and a time out from the constant hustle and bustle, I made pancakes. To top the pancakes (and eat with a spoon after said pancakes are gone), I made a stone fruit compote out of black plums and cherries spiced with a bit of cloves and brightened with a bit of lime zest. If I had any fresh corn leftover, I would have tossed some kernels into the pancakes, but it had already been greedily eaten. Such is life.
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Every summer (and possibly at other times throughout the year…), I develop an ice cream addiction. I’ll finish dinner and then automatically crave ice cream. I feel like I can’t go to bed without a bit of sweet and creamy goodness. Usually I’m able to manage these cravings, only allowing myself an ice cream treat a couple of times a week, but sometimes it get’s a little… out of hand. If I bring a pint of ice cream into my house, I have to know that it’s a distinct possibility that it will get polished off in one sitting. I know, I know. Disgusting. So, that’s why I don’t do it often (that and the fact that ice cream has gotten ridiculously expensive).

I really wish we had a nice local ice creamery, but all I’m left with is unnaturally colored and flavored baskin robbins which sounds about as appetizing to me as cafeteria pizza with cubed pepperoni (remember that stuff??). Usually I’m left with buying pints at exorbitant prices and then trying to muster all of my will power to put down the spoon and walk away after eating the first serving.

Apparently I thought the best way to manage my ice cream cravings was to buy the ice cream maker attachment for my kitchenaid. Yeah I may need some sort of therapy. Or Ice Cream Eaters Anonymous. Anywho, I figured that if I made my own ice cream, I could do it cheaper and healthier with infinite flavor possibilities. And, I thought that maybe I would make it last longer (i.e. eat less of it at a time) if I went through the trouble of actually making it. We’ll see how that goes…

I decided to make a sweet corn ice cream because I had some once several years ago and it was one of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth. Corn is sweet so why not use it in an ice cream? I made it with coconut milk and almonds to give it the necessary fat and thickness without having to cook it or add eggs. So, that means it’s vegan and gluten free! Yay!

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Cornmeal Pancakes with Stone Fruit Compote

Sweet Corn Ice Cream