Strawberry Lime Basil Sherbet

August 25, 2010 was a very special day in our lives.  Very special.  I remember everything so clearly.  The blue skies, birds chirping, bright sun shining its rays down on us… the knock on the door by the delivery guy.  I will never forget that day – the day that our ice cream maker arrived at our doorstep.  I remember feeling excited – I would finally be able to make a dessert that Seth would love.  He never had much of a sweet tooth, except when it came to ice cream. And I felt powerful – the ability to make this sweet treat was now in my control – take that milk and cream!  Of course, once I realized I would have to wait a day to make ice cream, because the bowl of the ice cream maker has to be chilled, I was super disappointed.  Ever since its initiation by freezer, however, it has been one of the most beloved appliances in our kitchen.  I can’t even remember what life was like without it.   Our most recent concoction is this strawberry lime basil sherbet.  I wanted to take this fruit salad, whose flavors worked so well together, and make it into a cold ice cream treat.  It tastes fruity, yet unique, and is just perfect for summer.

Ingredients
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1/2 cup chopped basil
1 quart strawberries, hulled and chopped
3 cups milk
3 -4 tablespoons lime juice
1 ½ teaspoon lime zest

Instructions
To make the basil syrup: Place sugar, water, and basil in small pot.  Gently boil until the sugar has dissolved, about 8 minutes.  Take off heat and strain out the basil.  Chill. 

To make the sherbet: Use a blender (I used my trusty immersion blender) to puree the strawberries, milk, basil syrup, lime juice, and lime zest together.  Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.  I find that this doesn’t freeze particularly well, so if you do freeze it, you may want to take out the sherbet 20 minutes before you serve.