Cardamom Ice Cream

It's been a while. It's been a very busy academic year for me, leaving little time for food-related experiments or for reflections on them. But this summer I hope to do more of both. To start us off, here's a recipe for cardamom ice cream. R got me an ice cream maker recently. I love being vegan, but I also miss having good ice cream in my freezer, and being able to have different flavors of ice cream.

I have already made mint ice cream (with fresh mint from L's garden) and caramel pecan ice cream. I'll post recipes for those once I re-make them, because I don't quite remember what I did. L gave me some of her mint plants because they were getting out of control in hers, and they have proceeded to take over my little roof garden as well. So expect more recipes with mint.

But yesterday I made cardamom ice cream. We had friends over for dinner who know how to cook Indian food. They taught me how to make a couple of dishes and R & I taught them how to play dominoes. I LOVE cardamom. It's one of my favorite flavors ever, and cardamom ice cream is somehow delicate and spunky at the same time. The vanilla also gives it just a little twist, without taking away from its simplicity.

Here it goes.

3 c. soy milk
3 tsp margarine
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 cardamom pods, crushed lightly so that the seeds are exposed
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
pinch of salt

Take two tbsp or so of the soy milk and blend the corn starch into them in a separate little bowl. This prevents the cornstarch from clumping. Heat all ingredients except the vanilla over medium until it the sugar dissolves and it starts simmering. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add vanilla, and then continue to simmer for another 5 min. or so. Then remove from heat, cover, and let sit for about an hour.

Transfer liquid to a container you can put in the freezer. The liquid needs to be really cold before you put it in the ice cream maker, but it shouldn't be solidifying. Once the liquid is cool enough, set up your ice cream maker, and let it do its magic! It will be about the consistency of soft-serve yogurt when it's done, but it will harden more in the freezer.