summer food: blackberry and pink prosecco ice

There are few things more satisfying than blackberry picking. Across the street from my Dad's old house was the most enormous cluster of blackberry bushes you ever laid eyes on. Not much to look at for most of the year, but for two weeks during the summer, the thorny brier would transform into a two-block-long, 15-foot-high wall of unadulterated berry mania.

The bike path that ran alongside the bushes meant that a good many berries were picked off by weekend riders (thieves) and as the sun started to set each evening, some of the neighbors would head out with their colanders and grab what was at arms length (fortunately they were elderly). But no matter, because the choice berries were always the hardest to reach. The dark, super-fat fruit hung heavily at the top, daring to be picked. Like little sirens of the produce aisle, they would call – and I would answer. A bottle of Bactine and bag of cotton balls later, I would emerge with a bucket of fruit for the record books.  

No need to go commando in your neighbor's yard or pull over on the side of busy highways for this one, however. A few pints of berries from your farmer's market will do nicely. The color of this sorbet is spectacular and the Prosecco brings out the flavor of the fruit, while providing the smallest touch of effervescence. And really, you can use any sparkling wine you like, but since you'll have 3/4 of a bottle left over, it might as well be a cute pink one to sip chaise-side while your sorbet chills in the icebox. -Sarah

20 minutes active time

4 ingredients

4 hours of reading or napping

Ingredients:
18 ounces fresh blackberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
1 cup pink Prosecco

Preparation:
In a small sauce pan, heat water to a boil.  Remove from heat, add sugar and stir gently to dissolve.  

Blend blackberries in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. With the motor running, drizzle in the sugar syrup and process 20 seconds more. Add Prosecco and pulse until blended, about 10 seconds.

Strain blackberry mixture into a container, cover and freeze until firm, at least four hours.  Dig out the ol’ melon baller and scoop into your most fancy pants stemware, or eat it right out of the fridge with a spoon.

Note from Kelly: By this time next week, our trusty food editor Sarah may have her second baby! So please wish her well. Like the great person she is, she’s stacked up more delicious lazy summer recipes, so this won’t be the last we hear from her. But Sarah deserves all the effervescent blackberry ice in the world to keep her and the baby company in the wee hours of the night. I wish we lived in the same place so I could feed it to her personally. I love her that much.

And for more summer blackberry rhapsodizing, check out this post from last summer. An event that I plan to repeat before summer’s end. xoKelly

Comments

[Charlotte]

I love this post. And the wonderful recipe which I will definitely be trying once the blackberries are more plentiful - we've only found a couple of ripe ones so far. We always go the pick your own/ bactine route - more fun. Good luck to Sarah and her new babe.

[Tami]

Oh my.....those photos make my mouth water! Berries are the berries. And so is Prosecco.