Asparagus Lemon Gelato

Eggless Asparagus Lemon Gelato

I bought a bunch of young asparagus a few days ago. When I was breaking off the tough parts of the asparagus, I thought I would save those parts to make asparagus tea. Within seconds that idea turned into asparagus gelato. What would complement asparagus? No, I am not putting Parmesan cheese in gelato. Think. Think about what I have on the farm. Ah! Lemon! That's it, asparagus lemon gelato.

You might think it's weird to use asparagus for a dessert. I just Googled for asparagus lemon gelato and no hits. Maybe it's original. Asparagus iced tea is quite popular in Taiwan, and you can get it in Asian markets in cans or juice boxes. It is usually sweetened. If it's good as a sweet cold drink, I know it can work as gelato.

I boiled the parts of asparagus in just enough water to cover them and left the asparagus flavored water in the fridge overnight. After I made the custard with whole milk, I left it to cool completely before putting it in the fridge for an hour. The ice cream maker works better when all the ingredients are cold.

The "quick freeze cyclinder bowl" didn't seem to be cold enough when I made my rose gelato. After doing some research via Google, I left it in the freezer for a week. I also made the eggless custard a lot thicker than last time. As soon as the paddle started churning, I could see a big difference.

I poured in the lemon zest and juice while the milk custard mix is churning. It got so cold that the peddle couldn't turn anymore after 15 minutes. The texture is very creamy. This is much more like what I was aiming for. Next time, I'll use Farm Village asparagus instead. Yes, there are asparagus growing in one of the raised beds, but I tend not to notice them until they start flowering.

Barrels of Herbs

Sweet Basil, Thyme, Marjoram, Chocolate Mint, Pennyroyal, and Peppermint

Yesterday was the last day of Master Ken's summer herb class. For the past 8 weeks, I have tried to learn as much about herbs as I could.  I also have 2 barrels of mix herbs to show the little knowledge I have gained.

I have slowly but surely started to integrate herbs into my cooking. When I pick green beans, I also pick basil to sauté with the beans. I have also made hot tea using fresh marjoram, peppermint, lavender, ginger, and stevia.

I now have 3 different kinds of mint - Pennyroyal, Chocolate  Mint, and Peppermint. I am most familiar with the scent of Peppermint.  Chocolate Mint doesn't smell or taste like chocolate. Pennyroyal has many medicinal uses and its essential oil is highly toxic.

Lemon Basil, Sage, Peppermint, Pennyroyal, and Chocolate Mint

Japanese Cucumbers

Growing Japanese cucumbers has been a challenge this year. I have started planting them as 4-inch seedlings since March. Each time they were devoured by pill bugs. In late June, I bought another Japanese cucumber seedling with a couple melon seedlings, and they were attacked by a bird that was trapped in the garage overnight. I had to spend weeks to nurse them in the green house before planting them outside. This time, it has been able to flourish despite of limited sunlight and heat. Miraculously the wine barrel with the cucumber and melons is pill bug free.

I grow Japanese cucumbers for pickling. The pickles are great for hot summer days although we are not having too many hot days this summer.

Rose Gelato

I have been looking for a gelato or ice cream maker for that last 2 months. With all the fresh herbs and fruits on the farm, I have all sorts of ideas for gelato flavors. People ask me what is gelato and what's the different between gelato and ice cream. I first had gelato during my trip to Italy about 6 years ago. It was in November, but that didn't stop me from trying as much gelato as I could. A couple years after returning to the Bay Area, I started to see gelato shops popping up all over the place. Gelato is also known as Italian ice cream, Italian ice, or Italian ice milk. It is much creamier and denser than American ice cream. However, it's lower in fat because it's made with milk and sometimes water instead of cream. It's creamier because it's churned differently from American ice cream. There is little or no air gets mixed in gelato. American ice cream is fluffier because lots of air is packed into it.

I prefer refreshing fruity gelato flavors over rich decadent flavors. There are two gelato shops in downtown Berkeley a couple blocks away from each other on Shattuck Avenue - Gelato Naia and Almare Gelato Italiano (formerly Gelato Milano). Both are quite good, but I like Almare Gelato better than Naia. To me, Almare is just a little creamier, and that's what I like. Another of my favorite is La Copa Loca Gelato in San Francisco Mission District.

I was about to go all out and get an air tight, self-refrigerating gelato machine, but I couldn't locate one at the clearance price. There is no way I can pay full retail price. I have been making stops at various thrift shops and scanning through Craigslist every day for a good deal. Finally I found a basic Krups ice cream maker at a Good Will last weekend. I made my first batch of gelato, rose gelato, with fresh rose pedals. It smells prettier than it looks.

Mandarin Oranges

Most of the Mandarin Oranges are way up on top of the tree

Similar to most fruit, Mandarin Oranges like the sun.  On top of the tree is where it gets most exposure to the sun; hence, picking the oranges requires a ladder.  If your source of cute little Mandarin Oranges is Trader Joe's (Cuties!) or other stores, you probably don't know that picking these cute little oranges can be quite dangerous.  The tree is full of sharp spikes that can easily draw blood or poke your eye out. I always make sure I have a jacket or thick long sleeve shirt on before attempting to pick the oranges.

These thorns can draw blood easily

After standing on the wobbly ladder as I tried to reach as far as I could to pick the oranges, I got 7 cuties. Just like the tomatoes, these oranges are taking months to ripen due to lack heat and sun.