Red, white and cool — freedom never tasted so sweet

by Megan O. Steintrager

updated 11:22 a.m. ET July 3, 2008

Matt Errico and Gabrielle Carbone are wild about American ingredients. At their shop, The Bent Spoon, in Princeton, New Jersey, the couple produce "artisan ice cream." The treat consists of organic cream and farm-fresh eggs churned with fruit plucked from local trees, vegetables and herbs gathered from farmers' markets, and other carefully sourced products. Daily, changing flavors such as locally grown strawberry, peppermint with handmade candy canes, and Muscovado brown sugar and clove have attracted a loyal following of townies, professors, and students, who stop in to discuss ingredients and methods over the latest offerings.

"It's nice to connect with people about what they're eating and have them know where it came from," says Carbone, who studied as a pastry chef at the French Culinary Institute in New York. The two use an Italian freezer and gelato case, but when it comes to ingredients, they rival "the Boss" for Jersey pride.

Take for example, a "secret garden" that they recently discovered, tucked away behind a local diner-turned-makeup store. "At least 50 years ago, someone pretty special — we cannot for the life of us figure out who — planted a pear tree and a Concord grape vine," says Carbone. "Every year, the fruit would go to waste, rotting on the vine, until this year, when the owner of the store called us to see if we wanted it." They did, of course, turning it into a silky Concord grape ice cream and a delicate pear sorbet.

An independent shop that uses the best American ingredients seems like a perfect match for Independence Day, so we asked Carbone to come up with recipes for a Fourth of July celebration. She created a fresh, red, white, and blue cake featuring strawberry sorbet, lemon ice cream, and blueberry sorbet. She also shared her secrets for sourcing top-quality ingredients and producing smooth, velvety frozen treats.

Make friends with a farmer
For the best results, Carbone prefers organic products. "Strawberries are like little pesticide sponges," she declares, and recommends seeking out ingredients from farmers' markets, natural food stores, co-ops, and local orchards and dairies. This is especially important in simple recipes such as this, where ripe fruit and rich, fresh cream are the stars. "It's all about the flavor," she says, explaining that many supermarket foods lose their just-picked taste and texture in their long journey from the farm. She adds, "Knowing where your food comes from and what's in it is such an important connection, one that I think many people are missing today."

Know your berries
Look for berries that are brightly colored — the darkest ones are the ripest — and have a perfumed, fruity aroma. They should be somewhat firm, without brown, mushy spots. "If you can get your hands on a wild berry, do so," says Carbone. "There is such a difference in flavor."

Handle the berries very gently and try to use them within hours of picking or buying. Wash them gently under cool, running water and gently pat dry or air-dry on a cooling rack. Store extras in the refrigerator.

If you're making sorbets out of season, there's good news: Carbone says that frozen organic berries work well in these recipes. They'll have a mushy texture, but since everything will be blended, it won't be noticeable; flavor is the most important thing here. Carbone is a fan of several store-bought brands, especially Cascadian Farm. Another option is to buy berries in season and freeze them for use later. Be sure they are clean, dry, and hulled, place them in zippered freezer bags, and freeze immediately after buying.

Enrich the experience
Though not all ice creams are made with eggs in addition to the milk, Carbone prefers to add a whole egg, plus several yolks. The eggs and milk are cooked to create a custard base that gives the ice cream richness and silkiness. When making the custard, Carbone recommends using a candy thermometer. "I am a big fan of precision when it comes to temperature," she says. "It can make all the difference between a lumpy curdled base and a perfectly smooth, creamy one." Another key to avoiding curdling is a process called tempering. This prevents the eggs from coagulating in the heat, which would result in bits of "scrambled egg" floating throughout the custard. To temper the eggs, some of the hot milk is whisked into them, then the egg and milk mixture is whisked back into the rest of the hot milk. During these steps, it's important to keep whisking constantly, to avoid uneven heating. As an added safeguard, the finished custard is poured through a fine strainer to catch any bits of rogue cooked egg or membranes.

Keep things smooth
"The faster something freezes, the smaller the ice crystals," says Carbone. "Smaller ice crystals mean smoother texture." To achieve this quick freeze, the base should be extremely cold when added to the machine. Carbone recommends refrigerating the base for at least four hours, or even overnight, before churning it.

MORE FROM FOOD & WINE

Food & Wine Section Front

14-year-old chef shares BBQ pork belly recipe   Video: Move over, Mac! McDonald's new burger To-die-for pie is testing Obama’s discipline McDonald’s to debut $4 Angus burgers Gramercy Tavern's cool summer cocktails Steal Ryan Scott's 4th of July berry trifle Fuss-free festivities for the Fourth A taste of the Obamas at Japan’s July 4th party Celebrate the 4th with Nigella’s yummy desserts Try a classic American red wine for July 4th Food & Wine Section Front   Add Food & Wine headlines to your news reader: