Tomato ice cream?
It seemed like a good idea at the time. After all, the earliest ice creams were savory puddings served as appetizers and palate cleansers, not as desserts—or so I’ve heard. Besides, a tomato thrown in a blender with basil is basically minimalist
Also, I had LOTS of tomatoes and didn’t want to eat them all the same old way.
Alas, gazpacho tastes better. A raw tomato eaten out of hand tastes better.
Who knows why? Maybe tomatoes balk at being frozen.
If you insist on trying this recipe, I cannot recommend substituting Truvia or other stevia sweeteners for the optional sugar or xylitol. The taste of stevia doesn’t go well with tomatoes.
Trust me on that, even if you refuse to trust me on the recommendation that you NOT replicate this recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 cups frozen tomatoes (about ½ pound)
- 5 or 6 fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh mozzarella
- up to 2 teaspoons sugar or xylitol
- 1 or 2 dashes of salt
Instructions
Put everything in a blender or food processor (see my previous post for thoughts on blenders) and turn to high power following your blender manufacturer’s instructions. Use the blender’s tamper to force the ingredients into the blades as it blends. If your blender doesn’t have a tamper, turn the power off every 15 seconds to prod the chunks toward the blades and the smooth stuff away with a wood or plastic spoon. Remove the spoon, put the lid back on and star the motor up again. Blend until smooth (30 seconds to a minute in a Vitamix), but don’t overblend or it will start to melt.
Scrape from the blender when it’s about the consistency of soft-serve. I use an ice cream scoop to make it pretty. If you want a firmer ice cream, stick your ice cream scoops in the freezer for a couple minutes before serving.
