I'm ready for a vacation . . . and I'm about to take one.  Actually, my blogging vacation sort-of began Sunday as I was preparing a four course birthday extravaganza for MM and her dear friend visiting from the west coast, NC.  (Happy birthweek MM!)  I decided then and there that I wasn't in the mood to photo-document the meal.  Instead, I just wanted to get into the cooking and hanging with MM and NC.  So that's what I did.  I prepared a great four course meal and have only this dessert course to blog about . . . because there was enough left in my freezer to do a morning-after photo shoot.

My actual vacation from work begins Saturday, when I head up to Brooklyn and then on to Maine to hang with a bunch of old friends.  Sooooooooooo . . . I'll be back to blogging during the first week of September.

Even though I didn't take photos of most of Sunday's meal, I'll tell you about it.

First course: home-baked ciabatta with insalata caprese made from heirloom purple Cherokee and Mr. stripey tomatoes*, mozzarella*, basil* and olive oil.

Second course: homemade ravioli of chorizo*, spinach* and Parmesan with oregano* brown butter and a summer squash* ragu.

Third course: baked lemon-rosemary* croaker* with sautéed Marconi sweet peppers*. 

Fourth course: homemade blackberry ice cream with blackberry coulis.  Here's how I made it.

For the ice cream:

• 4 cups fresh blackberries*
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk

For the blackberry coulis:

• 2 cups fresh blackberries*
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice 

1. Beat the sugar and egg yolks together until thick and pale yellow. Then beat the milk into the eggs and sugar.
2. Put the sugar / egg / milk mixture into a small saucepan and place over low heat.  Stir continuously until the custard thickens slightly (around 160°F) and just coats the back of a spoon. Beware, the eggs will scramble around 168°F!
3. Immediately remove the custard from the heat when it reaches 160 and transfer it to a bowl, then cover it and refrigerate until cool (40°F).
4. While the custard is chilling, puree the blackberries for the ice cream (4 cups) in a food processor, then strain to remove the seeds and other solid matter.  I use a wire mesh strainer like this one, stirring and pushing the puree through with a rubber spatula.  Chill until ready to use. 
5. Also while the custard is chilling, make the blackberry coulis by pureeing the remaining blackberries in a food processor, then straining, then returning the strained puree to the food processor and mixing in the sugar and lemon juice.  Chill until you're ready to serve it. 
6. Once the custard is chilled (2-3 hours in the refrigerator), whip the cream to soft peaks, then fold the cream into the chilled custard and, finally, fold the blackberry puree (not the coulis) into the mixture.
7. Follow the instructions for your ice cream machine from this point forward, freezing the custard / cream / berry mixture in the machine, then giving it some time in your freezer to harden a bit more.  When serving, top the ice cream with the coulis.

Ok friends, I'll be back, rested and rejuvenated, in early September.  Enjoy the remaining days of August and be well.