Summer desserts

      Okay, I'll admit, I cheated a little on the title. Only one of these desserts can really be considered "summery" but I wanted to write about the both of them so I snuck the other one in! They were both made using local ingredients that I harvested myself (thanks to my generous friends).

Wild berries frozen yogurt (based upon my friend Sarah P.'s recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups plain yogurt
2 cups berries (I used wild blackberries and olallieberries)
4 teaspoons organic sugar
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Procedure:

1) Blend all ingredients in a blender, then add a handful of whole ollallieberries.
2) Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

This recipe was originally served to me when I visited my friend Sarah's place at the Pigeon Point Hostel. We had a fun time picking olallieberries from a u-pick stand, blackberries from the wild, getting a person tour of the Pigeon Point lighthouse and eating and drinking way more than is healthy for you. When she made this dessert, Scott in particular raved and raved about it the whole way home. I knew I had to try it. Fortunately, my friend Sarah generously gave it to me so I could satisfy Scott's cravings at home. Yum!

Vanilla Pudding (from Mark Bittman's How to Cook everything)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
pinch salt
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Procedure:

1) In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with the cornstarch and salt. Mix together the eggs and half-and-half.
2) Stir the egg and half-and-half mixture into the sugar-cornstarch mixture over medium heat; whisk to eliminate lumps, then stir almost constantly until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract.
3) Pour the pudding into one large or four to six small bowls. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding to prevent the formation of a "skin," or do not cover if you like skin. Refrigerate until chilled, and serve within a day, with whipped cream if you like.

The inspiration for this recipe came from the need to finish the leftover milk and whipping cream I had in the refrigerator from making ice cream (a different recipe). I also had leftover eggs gathered from my friend Lynelle and Derek's chickens. What better way to put them together than in this delicious recipe? I highly recommend it! Ten times better than jello instant pudding. And made a lot easier if you have a handheld mixer to do all the stirring for you!

Wild berry frozen yogurt

Homemade vanilla pudding