[1] Yukon Gold Potato Ice Cream (photo © Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] Yukon Gold potatoes (photo © Bonnie Plants).

[3] Yukon Gold potatoes (photo © Good Eggs).

July is National Ice Cream Month; so pull out the ice cream maker (or consider buying one).

There’s nothing better than freshly-churned ice cream, before it goes into the freezer. The flavor has a vitality that disappears once the ice cream hardens.

While summer is the season to make fruit ice cream, here’s some food fun that uses a vegetable.

Vegetable? Yes indeed. We’ve also made beet ice cream and truffle (the fungus) ice cream, both exquisite.

You can amp up the potato ice cream recipe with mix-ins like chocolate chips and berries.

A garnish? Chocolate-covered potato chips, of course.
 
 
RECIPE: POTATO ICE CREAM

Ingredients For 1 Quart

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Wash the potatoes, leave on the peel and cut into 1/2″ cubes.

2. TOSS the potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet and roast until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

3. BRING the milk, cream, sugar and corn syrup to boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. REMOVE from the heat and whisk in the cream cheese and salt, then the sour cream. Chill.

5. MIX the ice cream base with the potatoes in a blender, until completely smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, preferably a chinoise.

6. PROCESS in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Place in the freezer for 6 hours or overnight.

Yukon Gold is a cultivar of potato most distinctly characterized by its thin, smooth, eye-free skin and yellow-tinged flesh. This potato was developed in the 1960s by Garnet (“Gary”) Johnston in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The cross was made in 1966 and Yukon Gold (after its yellow-gold flesh) was finally released into the market in 1980.

Yukon Gold quickly became a favorite with fine-cuisine chefs. It can stand up to both dry-heat and wet-heat cooking methods.

Its waxy, moist flesh and sweet flavor make it an ideal potato for boiling, baking and frying. You can also use them for grilling, pan frying, and roasting.

Here’s more about the Yukon Gold potato.