Special Delivery!

I am a huge advocate for small/local businesses... especially those that involve food.  No matter where I live or visit, I try to visit local shops, boutiques and restaurants.  Often times I find out that they have some of the most exciting treasures:)  So when I heard about a service here in Indianapolis called Green Bean Delivery, I signed up immediately.  This particular service drops off a weekly/biweekly "bin" full of seasonal, local and/or organic produce as well as local baked goods, dairy products and meat.  Sounds expensive right? Nope!  It is a $35 dollar minimum and you can suspend an order any time you don't need it.  No fees, no service charges, just the cost of your food.  While I have found that some items might be a tad more pricey than at Kroger, the convenience and flavor of what we get makes it all worth it.   This exact service is available in Cincinnati, but most cities have something similar.  Coops are great for local foods too.  My mother-in-law is part of a a summer vegetable coop and my friends in Boston are even part of a seafood coop.  Look into it!

My only problem... I forget to modify my order from the standard "bin".  Here is how it works: you can go on their website and specify what exactly you want, or they will fill your bin with the best of whatever produce they have.  I almost always forget to specify, so I get a fun surprise every other Tuesday:)  This week (and week before last), I got quite a few tangelos.  Now I have nothing against the citrus family, but I HATE to peel oranges, tangerines, grapefruit and said tangelos.  SO in a desperate attempt not to waste the fruit drawer full of tangelos, I made homemade tangelo sherbet.  My grandfather (love him!) had us make homemade ice cream with an old crank machine last 4th of July.  While my sometimes cynical husband was not terribly excited to stand in the sweltering KY heat and crank it, he quickly grew to appreciate how amazing good homemade ice cream can be.  I, however, use an electronic ice cream maker.  While the nostalgia is not so great, the flavor is not lacking.  Which leads me to tonight's recipe.  This is easily interchangeable with any sweet citrus fruit (oranges in particular).  Enjoy!

Tangelo Sherbet
7 oz sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons of rind
2 cups FRESH SQUEEZED tangelo (or whatever citrus fruit) juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk (the higher the fat content, the creamier the sherbet)

In a food processor or blender, combine everything but the milk and mix until sugar is dissolved (about a minute).  Whisk in the milk and refrigerate until its very cold (like 42 degrees, usually take an hour).  Pour it into the ice cream maker and let it go until it is the consistency of soft serve cream.  Serve right then or freeze for a few more hours if you want it to firm up.  Perfect treat for the upcoming heat!