We might have gotten just a little carried away with the bounty of fresh berries and the herb harvest from our Farmers Market plants. The raspberry basil sorbet was actually the first recipe we made, and the inspiration for the strawberry rosemary sherbet and the green tea and mint ice cream we posted earlier. This time of year, the raspberries are so ripe and sweet, you don’t even need additional sugar to bring out their best flavor. We also dribbled in just enough cream to give the sorbet some body, but you don’t need to use it at all – and if you want to give it a decidedly adult edge, replace the cream with sparkling white wine (check out Shrewsbury’s Zoll Cellars at the Canal District Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.)

Raspberry Basil Sorbet

Ingredients

• 2 pints fresh raspberries, washed
• 15-20 large basil leaves
• 1-2 teaspoons of sugar, or sweetener to taste
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Equipment

• mortar and pestle or potato mashers
• wire sieve
• ice cream machine

Instructions

1. Bruise or chop the basil leaves, retaining a few sprigs for garnish.
2. Toss the basil and raspberries together in a bowl.
3. Using a potato masher or mortar and pestle, mash the raspberries and basil until the raspberries are a thick puree.
4. Work the raspberry mixture through a fine sieve to remove the basil, seeds and remaining pulp. (Pro tip: save the pulp to throw in your juicer for an added Vitamin C boost to your next juice smoothie.)
5. If you’re adding milk or cream (or something a little more adult), stir it in now.
6. Freeze the mixture for about 30 minutes, or until it ice crystals are just starting to form.
7. Turn the raspberry mixture into the canister of your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer instructions to freeze the sorbet.
8. Garnish with fresh basil and serve between courses or as dessert.