I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but here in Minnesota it has already been oppressively hot. We grilled out for Father's Day, and our menu consisted of Grilled Pork Sirloin chops, which I coated with olive oil and then covered with Durkee's Chicken & Rib Rub.
Everyone who eats them is amazed that they're pork chops because they're so tender and juicy. The only local grocer who carries that particular cut of pork is Rainbow Foods. The butcher there tells me it's not a popular cut of meat since it's darker than "the other white meat" normally is. My response was good! More for me and my family!
I also grilled some vegetables and I experimented with a new product from Sam's Club, Weber's Veggie Grill Seasoning.
The spices smell incredible and I love fresh grilled veggies. I bought some beautiful red bell peppers, zucchini, summer squash and mushrooms. The result was very well received. The mushrooms were my favorite, and I just used some of the large white variety. I use a disposable metal mesh sheet to grill fish and vegetables, since it's impossible to keep them from falling through the grates as they cook.
So, let's get to the ice cream. Whenever I serve this, I'm constantly told by guests that they've never had homemade ice cream. People, this is just plain wrong. I used to slave over a pot of milk, cream and egg yolks, thickening it over a hot stove, but no more. This recipe is sinfully easy, and I'll confess that I lifted it from www.Allrecipes.com. I did "kick it up a notch" by adding fresh vanilla bean to it and increasing the amount of extract, but it's so perfectly simple that there's no real reason to change anything else. I like to serve it with fresh summer berries, or warm apple pie. Mmmm.
I use a Rival 5 quart electric ice cream maker that I've had for several years. It's perfect for larger batches of ice cream, and I don't usually whip it up unless I'm cooking for a crowd. The biggest problem I have is storing the hopper in the freezer once the ice cream is done churning.
This recipe is fine for smaller makers, I double it for my crowd.
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
2 C Half and Half
2 C Whipping cream
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
3 TBSP pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds scraped into mixture
Mix all the ingredients right in the ice cream hopper. I like to make the base ahead of time and leave the vanilla bean in the mixture to infuse it with even more flavor. Refrigerate if not churning immediately. Churn according to your maker's instructions.
A couple weeks ago, I received the best compliment from my friend's husband. They were kind enough to invite us over for a pool party and since I don't like to show up empty handed I brought the goods to make ice cream. Beau tasted the creamy concoction and said that it reminded him of the man who sold ice cream from a cart in the village where he grew up in Yugoslavia. That's the praise I crave. I will never feel guilty about not stirring a big pot of custard over the stove all day after hearing that.
