Meyer Lemon and Candied Ginger Ice Cream

I never told you about my summer trip with my co-workers.  We went to a resort in Cabo, Mexico which was beautiful and luxurious and lazy.  It was sooooo awesome.  I've never had a lazy vacation - our are usually packed with hiking and perspiration and unflattering convertible pants.

On the plane my co-workers expressed "oh crap, you're going to have to eat like guacamole the whole time.  There's nothing for you to eat."  I think I will manage. I think I'm okay with guacamole for 3 days.  However, I'm sure they have salsa too.  Duh.  And chips.  And margaritas.  Hey, this is starting to sound like a balanced meal to me.

My biggest concern was showing up in a bathing suit in front of my coworkers. Who are DUDES.  That is really really weird.  It's like going to work in your underwear.  How about we leave some things to mystery?  The first day, we're at the pool and while I was tempted in immerse myself in the pool with my cover up on, I had to take a moment to be brave.  At that moment I wanted to scream "everybody close your eyes so I can get into the pool without being self conscious!"  Any of my possible ideas to avoid bathing suit exposure would just attract more attention and not the good kind, so there's really only one avenue to take.  Take off the cover up, walk to the pool using my chopstick legs as fast as possible trying to achieve a "good walk" , and submerge oneself.  Then drink heavily to forget about the exit plan for the pool.

I survived.  My ego survived too. And I'm back at work and everything is normal.  Except now they know what I look like in underwear.  Now they know.

Summer is ending and fall is beginning, which means we can finally go outside now without the risk of dying.  I made this Meyer Lemon and Candied Ginger Ice Cream which has hints of Rosemary in it.  It's the perfect transition from summer to fall.  A much easier transition than publicly going from work attire to a bathing suit.

Meyer Lemon and Candied Ginger Ice Cream

adapted from Lemon Ice Cream Recipe Epicurious

(my notes in Italics)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half (1 cup whole milk + 1 cup cream)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
1/3 cup finely chopped candied ginger

Directions

In a saucepan whisk together the zest, the lemon juice, the sugar, and the eggs, whisk in 1 cup of the half-and-half cream and the vanilla, and cook the mixture over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, until it just comes to a simmer. Whisk in the rosemary, and then immediately remove from heat.  Let it sit for 2 minutes. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the zest, and chill it, covered with plastic wrap, until it is cold. Whisk in the remaining 1 cup half-and-half 1 cup whole milk and freeze the mixture in an ice-cream freezer (maker) according to the manufacturer's instructions. In the last minute of freezing, add the chopped candied ginger. Makes about 1 quart.

Note - I added the rosemary as an afterthought, after straining the custard, so then I had to re-strain it before adding it into the freezer bowl of the ice cream maker.  I've changed the directions so that you can add the rosemary upfront and avoid the extra work I had to do.  Enjoy!