Fresh Raspberry Coconut Milk Ice Cream (Dairy-Free)

I can't think of a better way to celebrate the first day of summer than by making a batch of ice cream. The raspberry canes in the garden are completely doubled over with the weight of this year's crop. Already filling their own corner of the freezer, we are struggling to keep up with picking as they ripen. A fine problem to have.

Abundance is such a common occurrence this time of year, it becomes almost easy to take it for granted. I am literally throwing salad greens at the neighbors, meanwhile, I've eaten so many salads myself I'm in danger of getting bored. Yet here lies the loveliness of nature: it is continuously changing. Right when you think you can't eat another snap pea or bowl of spinach, another crop feverishly comes on. This continues throughout the growing season, with yields robust enough to effortlessly put by for later months. A true treat when you are enjoying a peach smoothie in October.

But I have not tired of raspberries yet, although I've eaten without abandon. Whirled with creamy coconut milk and maple syrup, this raspberry ice cream is sheer frozen summertime bliss; just in time for the blueberries to arrive. Oh the possibilities. . .

Fresh Raspberry Coconut Milk Ice Cream: (Requires an electric ice cream machine)

*1 can (or 13.5 oz) high quality full fat coconut milk

*scant 1/2 cup real maple syrup

*3 heaping handfuls fresh ultra-ripe raspberries (about 2 cups)

Prepare ice cream machine (I recommend Cuisinart's model, about $45) by freezing mixing vessel for 8 hours prior to ice cream making.

Whisk coconut milk and maple syrup together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Pour into ice cream maker. Add raspberries after churning has begun. Once contents freeze to desired consistency, (about 20 minutes) immediately scoop into bowls and serve. Leftovers (if there are any) can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer.

Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Vegan Nirvana Cookies

This recipe was passed on from my friend Dana and her sister. It is a new favorite. Unrefined coconut oil, maple syrup, walnuts and almond butter marry beautifully with your choice of diverse variations.

I call them nirvana cookies because each bite is a little piece of gastronomic enlightenment. Don't be surprised if you find yourself levitating a few inches above ground . . .

Nirvana Cookies:

*1 cup rice flour, coconut flour (or regular organic white whole wheat flour)

*1/2 teaspoon baking soda

*1/2 teaspoon sea salt

*1/2 cup almond butter, or favorite nut butter

*1/3 cup maple syrup

*3 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

*1/3 cup chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Blend all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Mix nut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla in a separate mixing bowl. Add flour mixture to wet mixture. Thoroughly blend. Add nuts or seeds until fully mixed.

Roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball, place on baking sheet and gently press with fingertips to slightly flatten. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly golden. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Serve with a glass of cold, raw, grass-fed milk (if you're not a true vegan that is).

Perfect Hot Cocoa

First, thanks to those of you who took time to share about what kind of cook you are in the last post. I cherish the descriptions of what goes on in your kitchen. To say thanks, I devote this next recipe to you dear hard working home cooks. It is not always easy keeping food on the table. No matter how much you enjoy it, there are times when cooking can be more of a task than a delight. Then there is always the sink full of dirty dishes waiting for you after the last savory bite.

We live in a busy world that seems to just keep getting busier with text messaging, high speed internet, images racing faster and faster across television screens with campaigns so slick we can hardly tell they are advertisements. I have my ways of trying to ignore these facts of life (I love keeping my cell phone on silent mode too often), but alas, facts are facts.

So here is a little treat for you. Turn off the tube, stuff your "smart phone" under the mattress, and take a moment all to yourself.

Gently heat some whole, creamy milk, add some cocoa, maple and vanilla. Pour the steamy mixture into a delicate mug (perhaps one your grandmother gave you), sink into a big chair by a window, and sip away. This one's for you!

Perfect Hot Cocoa: (serves 2-4)

*2 cups whole (raw if possible) milk

*3 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

*2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

*1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*pinch of sea salt

Place milk in a small saucepan over medium/low heat. Add cocoa powder. Whisk. Add remaining ingredients. Whisk until liquid is smooth and frothy and all cocoa is dissolved. Heat until just steaming making sure to remove from heat before bringing to a simmer. Pour into mugs and enjoy.

Maple Popcorn

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year: a gallon of maple syrup from the small town of Wolcott, Vermont (thank you Nancy). A gallon is enough to have fun with, unlike most times when I'm only lucky enough to have a quaint half pint, which I hoard and selectively drizzle on special occasions only.

While winter pruning today outdoors, the thought of fairground kettle corn leapt into my brain. The sweet, salty, crunchy combination born from those dark kettles can't be beat. The thought did not go away. So naturally, I came home and did what any snack obsessed person in my situation would do, and hashed it out in the kitchen.

If I closed my eyes while I crunched on the perfect, sea-salted, maple concoction, I could almost hear the faint music from the ferris wheel.

Maple Popcorn: (serves 4)

*3 tablespoons refined coconut oil

*1/4 cup maple syrup

*3/4 cup popcorn kernels

*sea salt to taste

*The key to this recipe is getting the temperature just right. Too low and the corn will not pop. Too high and the maple syrup will quickly burn. A standard medium heat does well.

Begin by placing a large heavy pot (fitted with a lid) over medium heat. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup and a dash of sea salt. Allow to heat until gently bubbling. Add the popcorn and cover with a lid. Keep a close eye on the liquid. If it begins to brown, lower heat slightly.

Once corn begins to pop, keep the pot moving over heat to keep from burning. Once popping tapers off, remove lid quickly (keeping any condensation from dripping onto popcorn).

Immediately transfer to a large metal bowl.

Sprinkle with additional sea salt and enjoy.