January 30th, 2025
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This is a magical time of year with so much growth around. Some traditions view the seasons as divided into five distinct seasons rather than the four we commonly know. Autumn, Winter, Spring, Early Summer, and Late Summer. With this in mind, we are now in the Late Summer season. The most abundant time of summer when the garden is heaving and produce stalls are piled high.
As I look around my garden a lot is going on. Even with relatively little input on my end this season the handful of zucchini, cucumber, green beans and tomatoes I planted (late, nevertheless) are producing well. Add to that the ripe blueberries and blackberries ready to pick every few days, plus the last white-fleshed peaches, and a bumper crop of early figs.
I am a big fan of planting fruit trees and berries, possibly even more so than vegetables (besides herbs, always herbs). They need little input and all going well can produce for many years. If you look at fruit trees as long-term rather than short-term they can reward tenfold compared to annual plants. If you don’t have your own patch look into joining a community garden (this is how I started my garden journey) and/or search out public fruit trees available for all. In Te Tauihu / Top of the South, we have this map for locating edibles on public land.
As summer fruit abounds it is eaten fresh, frozen, dehydrated, preserved and cooked. Adding it to ice cream is a logical option for the hot days when they come. It has been a cooler summer here but still enough sunny days to remind us it is summer – late summer at that! The ice cream recipe I share below is one I make often, starting with a base of cream and condensed milk and adding the hot flavours of the day, month, or season… Scroll down for the recipe.
More Frozen Dessert Recipes on Homegrown Kitchen
- Fig Leaf, Honey & Olive Oil Ice Cream – Fig leaf brings a subtle flavour or use fresh thyme instead. Olive oil adds a smooth consistency to the ice cream acting as an emulsifier to reduce the formation of ice crystals.
- Plum, Rosemary & Gin Sorbet – Herbaceous gin pairs well with plum and rosemary. The booze is optional, or use one of the fabulous non-alcoholic gins now available (my choice).
- Berry & Frozen Yoghurt Ice Cream Cake – Thick creamy yoghurt combined with mascarpone or whipped cream, berries and a crunchy muesli base. A good one to serve for a celebration.
- The Best Apricot Ice Cream Ever! – I shared this recipe over 10 years ago and it is still one of the most popular recipes on the website. Made with four ingredients, apricots, coconut cream, honey and a touch of vanilla.
Summer Fruit Yoghurt Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2-3 peaches, about 300g
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 cup (250ml) cream
- 395 g can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (250g) plain yoghurt
Instructions
- Remove the stones from the peaches and chop roughly. Place into a saucepan along with the blueberries. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat until the fruit is soft. This will take about 10-15 minutes, there is no need to add any water as the fruit will sweat and release their own juices.
- Remove from the heat and add lemon juice to balance the taste. Puree with a stick blender until smooth. The fruit sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Make the ice cream. Pour the cream and condensed milk into a stand mixer, or use a large bowl and handheld beater. Whisk at medium speed for around 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened and doubled in volume. Add the yoghurt and fruit sauce and whisk again for 2 more minutes to fully incorporate and aerate.
- Immediately pour into a large lined loaf tin or 2-litre container. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- To serve, remove from the freezer 15-20 minutes beforehand to soften for easier scooping. Consume within 1 month.
