Foraging for the sake of ice cream

In spring the pines get bright green spruce tips that grow out of their ends. You can see them in the first few photos. Turns out they are edible! I wouldn't recommend just popping them in your mouth, they taste bright and bitter with pine notes. But if you use them in something they are subtle and fun. I really enjoy foraging and so I grabbed up a bunch of the little guys to try to make something out of. I made a simple syrup with some and then recently made some into an ice cream.

I started with meringues and some roasted rhubarb and then I topped it all off with some spruce tip ice cream. The colors together are fabulous!!

3/4 cup spruce tips

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

6 egg yolks (use the whites for meringues!)

1/2 cup cane sugar

pinch of salt

1   in a small saucepan heat, on low, cream, milk, sugar, salt, egg yolks. Stir constantly so you don't cook the eggs. When the mixture is hot and the sugar is melted (but not simmering or boiling) remove from heat and let cool to room temperature 2   toss the spruce tips into a food processor and chop well. 3   when mixture is cool add into blender along with spruce tips, blend well. 4   pour mixture into ice cream maker and process for as long as your ice cream maker says 5   transfer to a container and freeze