Provo Farmers Market and Basil Ice Cream

I think Spring is really here to stay in Utah. We had a crazy March and April full of rain, sun and snow. Now I'm just crossing my fingers that it is all sun from here on out. Last weekend was full of the fun spring and summer things I like to do, including going to the Provo Farmers Market.

Our market always starts out a bit small due to Utah's growing season but by the end of summer it is great. For the first one of the year I was pretty happy. Here are my finds. I've been enjoying them all week.



I'm no stranger to pepper jelly. And Cally's Homemade Jalapeno Jelly was there to represent on Saturday. I remembered her from last year. This time I opted for her new sugar-free version. She makes it with xylitol but I'm hoping she'll do some with Agave soon.




I wasn't surprised to find cupcakes at the market this year. These carrot cupcakes are from a company run by two sisters I think and it starts with a D. (Help me remember, please.) The thing that makes these cupcakes unique is that they included carrot puree and juice. I enjoyed it. It was nice and small. A bit bread-like but still very nice, especially with the cream cheese frosting.



Oh and there wasn't just one vendor selling cupcakes. There were two. I also spotted Sugar Daisy out of Provo. Look how beautiful these cupcakes are...and the baker was super nice with some fun friends. Half the fun of farmers markets for me is just getting to chat with interesting people.



I don't expect to be buying lots of produce until the end of June. But I did find these radishes. The poor little things got a bit wilted by the hot sun but that didn't stop me from buying them. My salads have been screaming from more color in the form of bright radishes.




Prickly Rock Honey. This company was new to me. I loved how they had various honeys that came from different hives all around Utah. I really enjoyed the Duchesane County a lot but decided to purchase the Wildflower Honey. I think it was taken from hives in Kamas. Yum.

Now the best for last.

I've decided that each time I write about the Provo Farmers Market I will feature a food photo, recipe or tip that includes something I purchased. This week (among many other things) I made this Basil Ice Cream found in David Lebovitz's genius of a cookbook, The Perfect Scoop. I used these beautiful local eggs.


I wish I could remember the name of these egg farmers or their company name. Funny enough, when I asked them what their company name was they just chuckled and said their first names. It was cute. They were so casual, I loved it. The eggs were just beautiful. And I don't think I'd ever seen yolks so shiny and golden. I almost didn't want to whisk them because they were such a sight to see.


Beautiful fresh eggs made the best custard-based ice cream. The recipe was absolutely delicious. It was simple, aromatic, fresh and a bit spicy. The recipe included fresh basil, lemon zest, heavy cream, whole milk, sugar and salt. The basil brought such a pungent clove and anise-like flavor which I really enjoy. But how would it play out in a dessert dish? It was so fresh and delicious. It was mellowed out by the sugar and heavy cream. The touch of lemon zest balanced everything out perfectly.

I'm not posting the recipe because I honestly think anyone interested in making ice cream should own this book.



David suggests you pair the basil ice cream with his recipe for Strawberries in Lemon Syrup. Basically you make a simple syrup that includes lemon zest, then you macerate hulled and quartered strawberries in the syrup for a few hours.

I couldn't have discovered a better pairing for this ice cream. Every flavor played off the other. I imagine this dessert as the perfect ending to a beautiful outdoor meal. This wasn't the case because neither me or my husband had the patience to wait till dinner was over.

I hope you get the chance to attend your local farmers market this summer. I have so much fun attending the event and supporting local businesses. I'm also hoping to attend the Salt Lake City and Park City markets. If you have any posts about your favorite farmers market leave the links here. I'd love to see them.


Provo Farmers Market
Every Saturday
9 am - 2pm
Pioneer Park (500 West Center Street)
May 15th through October 30th.
Blog site: http://provofarmersmarket.blogspot.com/
pfarmersmarket@gmail.com