chevre ice cream with strawberry-balsamic ribbons

Homemade ice-cream is just about my most favorite thing in the world on a hot day. We haven’t had many of those lately, but this ice cream sure helps a girl pretend.

For the uninitiated, chevre is soft cheese made with goat’s milk. It is fresh and tangy and lovely in salads. It’s especially good friends with roasted beets.

In this recipe, we churn it into a beautiful rich ice cream. Think strawberry cheesecake. Delish!

Chevre Ice Cream Recipe

Ice Cream Base:

• 2 1/2 c. half & half
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 c. white sugar
• 2 1/2 c. whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 c. chevre

Strawberry-Balsamic Ribbon

• 2 c. fresh BC strawberries
• 1 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• sugar to taste

Method:

Ice cream base:

1. Heat half and half gently in a heavy bottom pot until warm. Do not boil.
2. In separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light and frothy.
3. Once cream is warm, temper eggs by slowly adding warm cream to the egg mixture.
4. Return entire mixture to the pot and heat until steamy and small bubbles form around edge.
5. Break chevre into small pieces and whisk into warm cream/egg mixture until most is melted.
6. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain into large bowl.
7. Add whipping cream, salt and vanilla. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
8. Process in ice cream maker per manufactures instructions

Strawberry-Balsamic Ribbon:

1. Hull and roughly chop strawberries.
2. Simmer gently in medium pot, stirring often until most of the liquid is evaporated.
3. In a separate pot, reduce the balsamic vinegar until it is thick and syrupy.
4. Combine vinegar with strawberries, add lemon juice and puree mixture with an immersion blender.
5. Add sugar to taste. (Amount will vary greatly depending on sweetness of fruit. The ribbon should remain relatively tart.)

Once your ice cream is at soft-serve stage, pour it into containers and layer drizzles of the strawberry ribbon. Once the container is full, swirl the ice cream to combine the ribbon. Do not over stir. Freeze until hard.

Serve with remaining ribbon and crushed graham crackers. Enjoy!