Strawberries and ice cream have been a natural duo since who knows when. Chef Eric Di Stefano, of Geronimo’s in Santa Fe, puts a real spin on the concept with his rich and intense basil ice cream. While most think of basil with savory dishes, it is a member of the mint family and is an amazing complement to the finest berries in the world – Driscoll’s. The sweet-tart strawberries spark the luxurious basil mixture. Chef Di Stefano started his culinary career at Pennsylvania’s four-star Hotel Hershey, cooked in Palm Beach, Scottsdale, South Africa and Europe, and then returned to Hershey before moving to Santa Fe where his “painterly cooking” regularly wins rave reviews.

• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 Tbs. grated orange peel
• 8 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 lb. Driscoll's strawberries

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cream, one-half cup of the basil and the orange peel to boiling. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 30 minutes. With whisk or electric mixer, in a large bowl, beat egg yolks until blended. Add sugar and beat well. Very slowly blend in about 1 cup of the cream-basil mixture into the egg yolks to warm them. Gradually add egg yolk mixture to cream-basil mixture in saucepan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and place saucepan in bowl of ice. Stir frequently to cool completely. Pour into blender, add remaining basil and blend until very smooth, at least 2 minutes. Strain through very fine sieve. Turn into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Cover tightly and store in freezer until ready to serve.

To serve, rinse, drain, hull and halve or slice the berries and arrange in serving dishes or glasses. Top with scoop of Basil Ice Cream. Store any remaining ice cream in tightly covered container in freezer.

Per serving: calories 1123, fat 98.8g, 77% calories from fat, cholesterol 751mg, protein 11.4g, carbohydrates 53.5g, fiber 3.2g, sugar 50.2g, sodium 106mg, diet points 30.6.

Dietary Exchanges: Milk: 0.7, Vegetable: 0.1, Fruit: 0.6, Bread: 0.0, Lean meat: 0.8, Fat: 18.8, Sugar: 2.2, Very lean meat protein: 0.0

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