Summer days conjure wonderful thoughts of eating ice cream. My grandparents had peach orchids and when the peaches were ripe we would pick them and take them to their neighbors house where they would churn them into dairy cream. From the back gate of the open air jeep that took us to what we kids called peaches and cream time, we happily lapped spoonfuls of the creamy goodness.
Throughout the summer I follow the fruit harvest and every week, I add what's in season to my favorite (local) vanilla ice cream. It's so easy, satisfying and refreshing. For one pint of ice cream you will need about one cup of fresh fruit that's been mashed. (I prefer pieces of fruit in my ice cream rather than pureeing the fruit, but that's a matter of preference.)
A hand held potato masher is perfect for the job. Allow the ice cream to get just soft enough so that you can fold in the smashed fruit. Once the fruit is fully incorporated, transfer the mixture to an airtight container and freeze. Allow the ice cream to get slightly soft before you dish it into bowls or scoop it into cones.
