Basil Ice Cream (Inspired by David Lebovitz)

Directions

1. Basil Ice Cream
2. Place basil, sugar, and 1 cup milk in a blender and pulse until smooth and basil leaves are very fine. Strain half of the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and return mixture to the blender (this step is used to take out some of the basil leaves but not all of them). Zest lemon directly over blender. Add corn syrup and salt and blend. Add remaining milk and cream; pulse to combine. Turn blender on low and gradually add guar gum and xanthan gum (adding slowly will prevent clumping). Blend until well combined. Pour ice cream mixture into a non-reactive bowl and place in refrigerator until completely chilled, about 2-3 hours.
3. Once chilled, pour ice cream base into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pack the ice cream into a plastic container when finished. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream (to prevent ice crystals) and close with an airtight lid. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. For best results, serve over strawberries in lemon syrup (see below).
4. **Extra note: If you do not have guar gum or xanthan gum, you can substitute 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and 3 Tablespoons cream cheese. Follow these instructions for substitution: Reserve 2 Tablespoons of milk. In a small bowl, mix 2 Tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch. In another large bowl, whisk the cream cheese until smooth. After adding milk and cream to basil mixture, pour liquid in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook over moderate heat about 4 minutes (this will help the mixture thicken). Remove from heat and off the heat, gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until the mixture is slightly thickened (draw a line on a spoon), about 1 minute. Gradually pour the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Place in refrigerator to chill. Continue with Step 2.

1. Strawberries in Lemon Syrup (from David Lebovitz)
2. Combine water and sugar with the grated zest of 1 small lemon in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl, and chill thoroughly. Hull and quarter strawberries. Add them to the lemon syrup and let macerate in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours. To serve, spoon the strawberries and some lemon syrup into shallow bowls and float a scoop of Basil Ice Cream in the center.