Driscoll’s and Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream

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I apologize for the late post; what with trying to finish up work on the first issue, plus a visit to wine country last week (writeup of that trip forthcoming as well!), I was finally able to sit down and share this very spring-y strawberry ice cream with you, as well as the trip to Pebble Beach that inspired this ice cream.

Another year, and another Food and Wine at spectacular Pebble Beach. Even if there weren’t an event that brought together some fabulous chefs, food, and wine, I’ll still be excited to come down to this gorgeous spot. Brisk blue skies and stunning views as always.

This year, I was thrilled to be invited by Driscoll’s to attend again – I’d gotten a chance to visit some of their farms in a previous year, so I was pleased to see how they were doing. It also meant a bus ride down to Pebble Beach with the likes of Stephanie, Irvin, Sabrina, Shauna, and Kamran, which is basically like the best college road trip ever.

At one of Driscoll’s numerous farms in Monterey, we were treated to a breakfast spread that included a lot of freshly-picked berries.

Hello, giant yogurt parfait.

Breakfast was followed by a tour of the berry farms, where we got to see berry bushes up close and personal. My last visit I got to see strawberries; this time, it was blueberries and raspberries. Unfortunately most of the berries had not ripened yet, but we were able to see how much work goes into caring for these plants.

After the berry farms, we were whisked off to Pebble Beach Food and Wine proper, where we got to go in the Grand Tasting Tent. I’ll have to confess I wasn’t quite as diligent about snapping pictures of food as in previous years- but I captured a few favorites.

Chef Johnny Iuzzini serving up the charm…and dessert.

His dessert, a mix of strawberries, rhubarb, and coconut meringues, was one of my favorites.

Chef Ben Spungin had one of the more elaborately themed tables; his “Sweet Antiques” booth was filled with old-fashioned cameos, books, and other paraphenalia.

Here’s Chef Spungin sporting a chocolate handlebar mustache.

His black tea custard with tobacco-infused crumble and honey was inventive and spoon-licking good.

After the Grand Tasting, we took a walk by the beach to clear our heads and burn off some calories, and enjoy the endlessly beautiful views.

Thanks to Driscoll’s for another chance to visit their farms and Pebble Beach. I came home with a craving for berries, so the very next day I set about making some strawberry ice cream. This has pretty much been my favorite flavor since childhood – my madeleine, if you will. Roasting the strawberries helps bring out and intensify that lovely sweet flavor – and you can save some of the leftover strawberry puree to drizzle over the top.

I also broke out the trusty pizzelle maker to make some graham cracker pizzelles for accompaniment. I like the warm honey crunch with the rich fruitiness of the ice cream. You can very easily turn the pizzelles into little cones for the ice cream as well. Me, I like dipping little pieces into the ice cream and eating them, kind of those those snack packs of biscuits that come with a mysterious candy-flavored dipping sauce. Trust me, this is much better.