Bringing Some Flavors of New Mexico into My Iowa Home

I love the Southwest. For those of you new to my blog, I used to live in various places throughout the Southwest, from El Paso, TX, to Alamogordo, NM, to Tucson, AZ.

Sure it's dry, brown, hot. But it's beautiful in its starkness. There's something amazing about the wide open spaces, the turquoise blue skies, the sunsets rich in reds, golds, raspberries, peaches, the billions of stars in the nighttime sky, the fresh, clean smell the rain imparts on the copper landscape.

I love it all.

Anyway, I've been kinda homesick for my beloved Southwest. Maybe it's because of the winter storm Mother Nature is bestowing on the Midwest, where I now live. Maybe it's because of the readings from the Native American Literature class I'm taking.

Regardless of the reason, I'm homesick.

So, when I take a break from all the reading I have to do for my literature classes, I'll sometimes flip through a beautiful book called Tony Hillerman's Landscape, with breathtaking photos of Navajo country. Or maybe I'll take a look at an old issue of New Mexico Magazine.

Know what? In looking through New Mexico Magazine's June 2010 issue, I found an ice cream recipe that I'd marked and had really wanted to try. The flavor combination made me think it'll taste like that "perfume" of New Mexico that I miss so much.

Well, one thing led to another, and somehow I still haven't yet tried it. But, since I've been missing New Mexico so much lately, I may have to try it, even with Old Man Winter literally howling at my door.

This recipe is for Taos Cow Lavender Ice Cream. The recipe is courtesy of Jamie Leeson, owner of Taos Cow Ice Cream Company. He was kind enough to allow me to post the recipe here. 

Taos Cow Lavender Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 16 oz heavy cream
• 16 oz skim milk
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 to 4 egg yolks
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tablespoon ground culinary lavender flowers

Instructions:

1. Heat cream and milk in the top of a double boiler.
2. Add sugar. 
3. When sugar is dissolved, add egg yolks.
4. Still heating, mix completely, but do not let boil. 
5. Add vanilla and lavender flours.
6. Pour mix into ice-cream maker and freeze, according to manufacturer's instructions. 

-Makes about a quart.

-Garnish with lavender flowers, piñon nuts, or fine chocolate sauce.

Now doesn't that sound awesome?!

Taos Cow Ice Cream Company is located in northern New Mexico, in downtown Arroyo Seco on the road between Taos and Taos Ski Valley. They're open every day from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Their phone number is (505) 776-5640.