Aside from my apartment lacking any form of air conditioning, the several new varieties of multi-legged creepy crawlies I have discovered exist (and shouldn’t,) and the massive amounts of pollen that coats my car seemingly seconds after I wash it, I really do love summer in Southern California.
The farmers’ market is bursting at the seams with produce of all shapes, sizes, and flavor profiles. Stone fruits – the true mark of the summer season – are a staple in my kitchen right now, and I’ve been experimenting with all forms of peaches, plums, pluots and cherries.
Known for their sweet, slightly tart and juicy qualities, stone fruits are incredibly versatile and can easily shine in both sweet and savoury applications. Stone fruits are a stunning addition to salads and pair well with a tangy balsamic dressing. Crisps and cobblers are the perfect fruit forward summer dessert, and they can be thrown on the grill along with your favorite protein as a nectarious side.
As I mentioned, I have no air conditioning in my apartment, which doesn’t bode well for added-heat cooking. I’ve been loving nice cream recently, and found the combination of frozen bananas and cherries to be both refreshing and sweet enough to satisfy my sugar cravings. With that said, the theme of this months Recipe Redux is Super Stone Fruits, so I really wanted to use highlight multiple varieties in a unique way.
I infused the peaches and plums in a rose water and apple cider vinegar mixture and let them sit in a mason jar overnight. Stone fruits actually belong to the Rose family, so they’re a natural pair with rose water! The next morning, I removed the solids and combined the liquid with grapefruit flavored sparkling water (the millennial drink of choice,) and found it to be a delicious homemade drinking vinegar / tonic that cut through the sweetness of the nice cream.
You could even throw a scoop of nice cream into the fizzy tonic to make your own nice cream float! Either way, you’re getting your daily dose of antioxidants, vitamin C, and potassium for a nutritious summer sweet. What’s your favorite way to use Stone Fruit?
Cherry Nice Cream with Peach, Plum & Rose Tonic
Ingredients
Nice Cream
- 2 frozen bananas
- 1 cup cherries, pitted and frozen
Peach, Plum & Rose Tonic
- 1 cup peaches and plums, sliced
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp rose water
- ½ cup filtered water
- 1 can flavored, unsweetened sparkling water (I used grapefruit)
Instructions
Nice Cream
- In a food processor, blend frozen bananas and cherries until a smooth, creamy consistency is reached. Eat now for a more soft serve like texture, or put back in the freezer for something more scoopable.
Peach, Plum & Rose Tonic
- Combine all ingredients in a mason jar and place in the fridge overnight.
- Drain and save the liquid and discard the solids (or use them for something else!)
- In a glass, combine concentrate and sparkling water in a 1:3 ratio, or more if you prefer it to be tangier. Enjoy!
2 thoughts on “Cherry Nice Cream with Peach, Plum & Rose Tonic”
That cherry/banana combination sounds amazing! I never knew stone fruits were part of the Rose family! :O
wow, these look so delicious and amazing. I just love this idea of cherry ice cream with peach plum rose tonic. thanks for sharing this amazing article.