RECIPE STORY

The auspicious month of August keeps us held between highly heated days and the near-completion of summer. As we sweat beneath the sun’s vibrancy, we yearn for the last of the juicy stone fruits and fresh berries. We yearn for something cooling and comforting. We yearn for a collection of raw honey to cherish now and later through the cooler days of fall. What better way, we thought, to celebrate the deep-summer and satisfy our yearnings with ice cream.

We appreciate raw dairy for the way it acts as a complete food source; consisting of a multitude of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and crucial compounds. We also appreciate how it supplies us with enzymes and carrier proteins to ensure nutrient absorption. We choose raw dairy over pasteurized dairy so we may absorb these quintessential nutrients of life. Just as our famous physician idols before us like Hippocrates and Galen, we revere raw dairy for its effectiveness in treating digestive diseases, malnutrition, and so much more. Our Farmhouse Ice Cream utilizes local raw cream, endowing us with the rich nutrients we need to recover from long, hot, days whilst creating a nostalgic and decadent sensory experience. 

Our herbal ally, peppermint, is plentiful this time of year. It’s cooling properties bring relief and ease to the body and the mind. We’ll be incorporating peppermint into our ice cream for ultimate digestive support and for all of us to enjoy a nutrient-dense take on a classic flavor. For more information on Mint, we invite you to visit our Mint Plantcestry profile.

In thinking about ice cream, we wanted to provide you with a recipe that nourishes you through the heat, connects you to your local farmers, and honors a simple indulgence. With a bit of fresh mint from our garden, raw cream and honey from local farms, we present to you our Mint-Honey Farmhouse Ice Cream. 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups raw cream 

Recommendation: made with the best quality cream you can source, second best is unpasteurized. You can also do 2 cups raw cream and 1 cup raw milk 

• 3 egg yolks 

Recommendation: use local, grass fed eggs (we source our eggs from our hens)

• 5-6 handfuls of fresh peppermint leaves

Note: for a stronger, more potent, mint flavor and if you’re in a time crunch, substitute with 3-6 drops of edible peppermint essential oil

• 1 cup of honey for infusion
• 1 tps of vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of high quality salt 

Recommendation: We prefer Celtic Grey or Maldon

• Your choice of additions or toppings! For this go around, we’ll be indulging in fresh-picked, wild Maine blueberries 

ALCHEMY

Mint Honey: Begin by taking a walk to your garden or your fridge, for some fresh, aromatic, mint. We’ll want a nice 5-6 handfuls, depending on your preference for minty-ness and the quality of your herb. Pat dry (if slightly damp) and smack (yes, you read correctly) your mint, piece by piece to fill an infusing jar of your choice. Smacking mint is a barista and bartender technique that accentuates the plant’s natural oils, bringing them to the surface. The difference between this method and muddling, is that to muddle or crush your mint will bruise and tear the leaves, releasing a more earthy, chlorophyll flavor. To each their own, of course. If you’re the type that enjoys such flavor, by all means, muddle away! 

Once your jar is filled with mint of choice, pour or scoop your 1 cup of raw, local, honey over the mint until it is filled to the top. Seal shut and let it infuse, at minimum, for 7 days. For speedier infusing time, we recommend placing your jar in warm sunlight. Your honey will not only be more aromatic, but it will be imbued with solar energy. If you used peppermint oil instead of fresh herb, no infusing time is needed. 

Ice Cream: Accessibility and simplicity is important to us, and we know that not everyone has an ice cream maker. We use a blender which is the halfway point between hand-churned (old school) and modern (ice cream maker). So, we’ll be pulling out our old-school-everyday-blender to give it a whirl. 

Begin by beating the egg yolks with a whisk, by hand, in a mixing bowl. Once they are combined well,  pour into your blender. Add your raw cream, ½ cup of your mint-infused honey, vanilla, and salt. You can reserve the remaining ½ cup for drizzling as a topping, saving or future ice cream endeavors, or as a helpful aid during cold season. Blend until smooth and incorporated. 

Next, pour your mixture into your favorite freezer safe container. We are currently in love with Weck Jars as we have discovered they freeze our ice cream very well. Place in your freezer and let it turn into ice cream, approximately 8 hours of freezing needed. Scoop and add preferable toppings.

RESOURCES & REFERENCES

Adapted from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon Morell

Vitamins and Minerals by A Campaign for Real Milk

Milk as Medicine by A Campaign for Real Milk