Nectarine Sorbet with Cardamom Icebox Cookies

Nectarine sorbet, the third flavor in my summer sorbet series arrives with a twist! I sandwiched my nectarine sorbet between two cardamom ice box cookies in honor of my grandson Noah's visit today. I have to admit it was a pretty cool treat for a summer afternoon.







I made nectarine sorbet sandwiches for my grandson Noah. Here is the link to the recipe for the cardamom icebox cookies I used to make the sandwiches.

Once again I attempted to photograph the sorbet before it melts into a puddle. Of course I had to run into the kitchen to grab a few slices of nectarine which I forgot to slice before I scooped the sorbet into the bowl. I love the bits of red from the peel in the nectarine sorbet and of course I infused the simple syrup for this sorbet. This time I used lemon balm which is pretty much finished blooming for the summer but I did manage to find a few small flowers to photograph. The lemon balm imparts a lemony mint scent and flavor to the frozen nectarine sorbet.

Just for fun some flowers for the table, I like to plant orange zinnias and have them all over the garden , at least in the sunny spots.

Noah and I picked some veggies from the garden for a pasta dish. We put squash blossoms, yellow squash, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, shallots, cucumbers, oregano and mint together with pasta and feta cheese for a delicious lunch. Noah loves vegetables and herbs, he took the job in the kitchen of herb leaf picker which kept him entertained for quite some time.

Lemon balm, a member of the mint family, grows like a weed in my garden and fortunately has many uses. In addition to being used for tea, salads, fruit salads, vegetables, marinades and sauces, it can also be used as a cosmetic, like a skin cleanser or for a facial. It's also used as an insect repellent. It is native to southern Europe, western Asia and northern Africa. It is one of the ingredients in Benedictine and Chartreuse liqueurs. If you look closely at the picture below you can just make out a tiny white flower from the lemon balm. The orange flower is Abutilon, a flowering maple which blooms in pots here almost year round.

Ingredients and Directions for Nectarine Sorbet
Makes 1 & 1/2 quarts

6 organic yellow nectarines, pitted, save a few thin slices for garnish
1 & 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups water
handful of lemon balm leaves picked off the stems

Make the simple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring the water and sugar to a boil for a few minutes, take off the heat and add the lemon balm. Depending on how lemony you want the sorbet, let the lemon balm infuse in the simple syrup for at least 20 minutes. Chill the simple syrup.

Chop up the nectarines, don't peel them! Place them in a blender with the chilled simple syrup and blend until smooth. Chill the nectarine mixture for several hours or overnight. Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.