A Summer Sorbet - Blueberry & Lemon

When given the choice between ice cream and sorbet, ice cream wins nine times out of ten.

But, then we get hit with a blazing hot NYC summer day. The kind of day that makes the street melt and you have to shower twice because you're drenched in sweat again by noon. The kind of day where even these multiple showers are in vain, because beads of sweat start to form again the moment you emerge.

On days like that, the only thing I want is ice and water. On days like that, I'm so overcome by heat and thirst that I contemplate jumping into the East River for relief. And so, on days like that, rather than heavy-ish, dairy-laden ice cream, I go for sorbet. Mainly, because I want to take a bath in it, but short of that, I yearn for the cooling sensation in my hand and on my tongue - I even welcome the accompanying brain freeze caused by my too-fast and too-excited consumption of that sorbet.

It is no coincidence, then, that when the heat starts to blanket this city, so do droves of flavored ice vendors. They can be found on many street corners and inside city parks, hawking a variety of flavored ices: coconut, mango, cherry, lemon. The white paper cups overflowing with colorful ice provide flashes of instant, albeit momentary, sweet relief.

And, although we have had some pretty steamy days recently, we have not yet reached the kind of suffocating heat of which I speak. However, in preparation for what I know will be a hot summer, inevitably dotted with power outages, set to the tune of humming air conditioners and whirring fans, I am upping my homemade sorbet game and what better way to start than with sweet and tart blueberry-lemon?

What you'll need:
2 1/2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries
1-2 lemons - zested and juiced {enough to yield 3-4 Tbsp. lemon juice & 2 Tbsp. lemon zest, maybe more depending on how naturally sweet or tart the blueberries are}
1 cup of simple syrup
Lemon verbena - for decoration

To make the simple syrup - combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a pot and heat the water until the sugar has dissolved.
If using frozen blueberries - be sure to thaw them first.
Add the syrup to the blueberries, along with the lemon juice. Stir to incorporate.
Place the sweetened blueberry/lemon mixture into the food processor or blender, and puree until smooth.
At this point, stir in the lemon zest.
Taste the mixture - it should be a little too sweet at this stage, as the sugariness mellows out once frozen.
The sorbet base should be runny - not overly thick. If it is too thick, add a bit more water, or even more lemon juice if you think it can handle it.
Cover the mixture with plastic and place it in the fridge to completely cool.

You know your ice cream maker better than I - depending on the brand, you'll have different stages of preparation and instructions to follow. I use the KitchenAid ice cream churner attachment, which needs to be frozen for 12-15 hours ahead of time.

Once the ice cream maker is ready to go - churn the sorbet as outlined by the instructions on your machine. I churned mine for 25 minutes.

Place it in a freezer-proof container and then into, you guessed it, the freezer. This allows it to fully freeze and set.
After a couple of hours, you should be ready to go.
Scoop and top with a garnish of lemon verbena.
{Or, you can do what I really did, and eat it straight from the container. Don't tell}