Earlier this week, my co-worker Andrew brought me a bunch of fresh mint from his community garden in East Vancouver.
Garden fresh mint
Seeing that I had already used mint (albeit in extract form) in a classic ice cream recipe just a couple of weeks ago (Cacao Nibs and Mint Ice Cream #12), an unusual ice cream recipe was once again in order. Mint and peas can be whirled into a wonderful soup… so, why not in ice cream?
You can buy fresh mint at most produce and grocery stores, but use garden fresh mint for this recipe if you can. Inhale deeply and it smells so amazingly cooling. Mint also grows like a weed. If you don’t already have some in your backyard, chances are, your neighbour does and will gladly invite you over to harvest a bunch. Fresh shelling peas tend to be a bit harder to come by, unless you hit up your local farmers market at the right time. If you can’t find any, frozen peas will do just fine. Frozen vegetables are picked at their peak of ripeness and then immediately flash frozen — they can be more delicious and nutritious than “fresh” veggies that have been sitting around for weeks.
Fresh peas at the Saturday Farmers Market in Portland, Oregon. Sadly, I wasn’t able to bring any back with me to Vancouver. A trusty bag of Green Giant peas worked just fine for this recipe.
The resultant ice cream is a gorgeous bright green colour that screams Hello, Spring! Still raising an eyebrow at this flavour? Don’t. I assure you it’s a wonderful combination on the palette. Subtle flavours, refreshing, and with an ever so slightly grainy texture, somewhat reminiscent of Matcha Ice Cream #7. Try it out for yourself!
3 cups of peas (enough to yield 2 cups of puree)
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 cups half-and-half cream, divided
52 Scoops 