Ice Cream and Appetizers

To commemorate the end of summer, I (Rebecca) picked the theme of Ice Cream Social.  To protect our blood sugar, we decided to include appetizers as part of the dinner.  I made Olive Hummus (Joy of Cooking)  and Seedy Crackers (adapted from Alton Brown) for a starter and a simple Frozen Greek Yogurt (adapted from 101 Cookbooks) for the ice cream.

Olive Hummus

2 cups cooked chickpeas
2/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
3/4 cup lemon juice
2 pressed garlic cloves
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Combine everything but the parsley in a food processor or blender and process until completely smooth.  Remove mixture to a bowl and stir in the chopped parsley. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

Seedy Crackers

1 cup (140gm/5oz) white whole wheat flour
1 cup (140gm/5oz) all-purpose unbleached flour
1/3 cup (50gm/1.75oz) chia or poppy seeds
1/3 cup (40gm/1/25oz) sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp. table salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. (6.5 fl oz) water

Mix the flours, seeds, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.  Add the oil and stir until combined.  Add the water until the dough comes together.  Knead the dough 5 or 6 times and allow to rest, covered, on the counter for 15 minutes.  You can also chill the dough at this point and come back later.

Preheat the oven to 450F.  Working with 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll it out into a strip to the desired thickness (thick or thin).  Place strips of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

If the crackers are thick, bake 7 minutes, flip them over and bake for 7 minutes more.  If they are thin, 4 or 5 minutes a side may do.  Then cut or break the crackers into shapes while still warm.  Put them back in the oven for another 5 minutes until crispy and lightly golden.  You may need to remove a few crackers early if they are thinner than the rest and brown faster.

If the crackers are not crispy enough, they can be returned to the oven.

Store in an airtight container and eat within 2 weeks.  Yield varies based on thickness, but is probably about 50 crackers.

Frozen Greek Yogurt

3 cups (720gm) whole Greek Yogurt *
1/2 - 3/4 cup (100 - 150 gm) sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Combine the vanilla, sugar and yogurt together in a bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Chill for at least an hour.

Freeze in your ice cream maker as directed by the manufacturer.  In my cuisinart, it took about 20 minutes.

* Full fat yogurt will make the frozen yogurt softer and creamier, but the results are still pretty good with low fat yogurt.  Non-fat doesn't work as well.  Mashed banana or sugar substitute may be used in place of the sugar.  If you want to make your own Greek yogurt, strain 6 cups of regular yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth for about 6 hours.  I used Trader Joe's whole Greek yogurt.



Dani made Zucchini Tart and Creme Fraiche Ice Cream with Candied Lemon Peel.  We also enjoyed sparkling water flavored with the leftover lemon syrup.

Zucchini Tart with Lemon Thyme and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
5 oz. cold unsalted butter
Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1-1/2 lb. zucchini, trimmed and sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz. plain goat cheese, softened
1 tsp. chopped fresh lemon thyme

Directions:
In a food processor, pulse the flour, butter, and 3/4 tsp. salt until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the vinegar and 3 to 4 Tbs. cold water, pulsing until the dough just comes together. Shape the dough into a 1-inch-thick disk; wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. Roll the dough on a well-floured surface into an 11-inch round that’s 1/4-inch thick. Put the dough on a baking sheet, cover with plastic, and chill until ready to use, at least 30 minutes.
In a colander, toss the zucchini with 2 tsp. salt and drain for 30 minutes. Gently squeeze the slices with your hands to release excess water and transfer to a medium bowl.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Toss the zucchini with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil and pepper to taste. In a small bowl, mix the goat cheese with the lemon thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the cheese over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Arrange the squash rounds in tightly overlapping concentric circles all the way to the edge of the dough. (The rounds will shrink as they cook.) Drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and bake until the zucchini is golden-brown, 40 to 50 minutes.

Creme Fraiche Ice Cream with Candied Lemon Zest

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 vanilla bean split lengthwise
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups creme fraich chilled
1/4 cup Candied Lemon Zest (see below)

Directions:

1. In a heave saucepan, heat 1 cup of half-and-half over medium heat. Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the half-and-half and then add the vanilla bean. Cook until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes.
2. Combine the egg yolks, sugar, salt and remaining 1/2 cup of half-and-half in a bowl. Whisk until mixture is smooth and the sugar beings to dissolve.
3. Remove the half-and-half from the heat. Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot half-and-half into the egg mixture, whisking constantly until smooth. Pour the egg mixture in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and keeping the custard at a low simmer, until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it, 4-6 minutes. Do not let the custard boil. Discard the vanilla bean.
4. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
5. Once chilled, whisk the creme fraich into the custard. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and let mix for approx 25-40 minutes. . When nearly frozen and the constancy of thick whipped cream, add the Candied Lemon Zest and churn until just mixed.
6. Transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze until firm.

Candied Lemon Zest

Ingredients:
3 large thick skinned lemons
2/3 cups water
1 cup sugar plus 1 tbsp

Directions:
1. Using a peeler, remove the zest from the lemons in long strips. In a saucepan, combine the lemon zest and enough water to cover by several inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. Squeeze the juice from 2 of the lemons to make 1/2 cup of lemon juice. Set aside.
3.In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the water the 1 cup of sugar, and the lemon juice. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Add the lemon zest and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and let the zest and syrup cool to room temperature.
4. Drain the zest and reserve the syrup for another use. Put the zest in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle with the 1 tbsp of sugar and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature to allow the zest to absorb the sugar, about 2 hours.
5. Finely chop the candied zest and transfer to a covered container. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.


Lauren brought a Quinoa Salad and Butterscotch, Chocolate and Marshmallow toppings for our ice cream.

Here are links to the recipes I (Lauren) made: Butterscotch sauce , Hot Fudge sauce,  Marshmallow topping (used 1/2 cup for gelatin and another 1/2 cup added to sugar in pot), and quinoa salad (I used the dressing and quinoa instructions, but added dill, corn, and tomatoes for the vegetables).

I (Katharina) made Vanilla Orange Ice Cream. I used a vanilla ice cream recipe from cooksillustrated.com and added my own homemade orange marmalade.

Here is the recipe from cooksillustrated.com:
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If necessary, two teaspoons of vanilla extract may be substituted for the vanilla bean. To maximize the extract’s potency, stir it into the chilled custard just before churning.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 inch piece vanilla bean, slit lengthwise and seeds removed, pod reserved (see illustration below)
• 4 large egg yolks

Instructions

1. Position a strainer over a medium bowl set in a larger bowl containing ice water. Heat the milk, cream, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the vanilla seeds and pod in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to break up the vanilla seeds, until steam appears and the milk is warm (about 175 degrees), about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl until combined and pale yellow. Whisk half the warm milk mixture into the beaten yolks, 1/2 cup at a time, until combined. Whisk the milk-yolk mixture into the warm milk in the saucepan; set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until steam appears, foam subsides, and the mixture is slightly thickened or an instant-read thermometer registers 180 to 185 degrees. (Do not boil the mixture, or the eggs will curdle.) Immediately strain the custard into the bowl set in the ice bath; cool the custard to room temperature, stirring it occasionally to help it cool. Cover and refrigerate until an instant-read thermometer -registers 40 degrees or lower, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
3. Remove and discard the vanilla pod from the custard (or add the vanilla extract, if using) and stir well. Pour the custard into the ice cream machine canister and churn, following the manufacturer’s instructions, until the mixture resembles soft-serve ice cream. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container, press plastic wrap flush against the surface, cover the container, and freeze the ice cream until firm, at least 2 hours. (The ice cream will keep for up to 2 days.)

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I used the vanilla extract instead of the vanilla pod. I also used 2% milk and single cream instead of whole milk and heavy cream. I think this makes the result a little lighter without sacrificing too much creaminess. To add the orange marmalade, I simply added about 4oz of marmalade to the ice cream after churning. I dotted the marmalade on top of the ice cream and folded it in with just a few turns of the spatula. The idea was to obtain streaks rather than complete incorporation.