August Scoop

I realized on Saturday that it was really the last weekend in August. Where did it all go? August is such a sweet and fleeting month. It is the final taste of summer before fall begins to creep into the air, cooling the mornings and making you pull the blankets up just a little bit closer.

But there are still great moments of summer left to enjoy. The days are still warm, the sunlight still the perfect place to sit for the afternoon. And there's ice cream. August seems to be The Month for ice cream. Why its more particularly well suited to August than July, or June, or even the warm days of September, I'm not sure. But I will say this: my August was punctuated by large scoops of Tillamook Chocolate Mocha Fudge ice cream eaten at the beach, salted caramel ice cream eaten after a particularly good reading at Powell's books, and cantaloupe sorbetto on a Tuesday afternoon when I couldn't stand for my vacation to end.

So, it seemed time to pull out the ice cream machine and make some of my own summer goodness. I took my inspiration from another Pacific NW writer, Molly from www.orangette.com and made my own riff on blackberry yogurt.

I picked a plump basket of large blackberries from the farmer's market, took them home to macerate in sugar before mixing the deep purple strained sludge with pure, plain milk yogurt. The flavor was rich, intense, floral, intoxicating. This is a recipe to keep. It is not one to share -- it is so stunningly simple and yet so beautiful, that unless you spill the beans no one will ever know how easy it is to make.

And yet, in the name of friendship, I share it with you:

Anne's Version of Molly's Blackberry Frozen Yogurt
1 pound fresh blackberries (about one full pint)
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
6 oz. plain whole milk yogurt
2 teaspoons lime juice

Toss blackberries with sugar and vanilla and let stand on counter top for one hour.
With a blender, process softened blackberries with yogurt and lime juice until smooth.
Pour mix through strainer to remove seeds.
Refrigerate mix for one hour and freeze in an ice cream maker according to instructions.

Sit and enjoy.