This week saw several newbies on our table, Quiche, courtesy of Miss Tess, who loves quiche and Tarte abondance , which is more or less a cheese quiche. Scones courtesy of Miss Tess and Young Mr Alfie , both tried scones and jam and cream on the BA flight over to Geneva last week, and decided they were a hit, and the final one was cantaloupe melon ice cream.Tess at the age of 6 loves to cook, and is good at it, Alfie (8) thinks he likes to cook, but does not like getting his hands dirty!

For our ice cream making the choice of flavour was a bit difficult. They both quiet fancied “Cherry Garcia” until Alfie read that it has chocolate in, he does not like chocolate, and Tess fancied Chocolate chip cookie dough, but again the chocolate issue.. So how about Oreo, umm not really, Oreos are hard to find here in France, Vanilla fudge chunk? Well it would mean having to make our own fudge, coconut? Kit Kat ? Toblerone? The list was endless, we finally settled on Canteloupe Melon. This might sound rather odd, but I have to say the result was excellent !

Ideally, to make this an ice cream machine is useful. I do have one that does the job for you as it has its own refrigeration unit, but the one I have in France requires the bowl of the machine being in the freezer for several hours before use, which is not at all convenient . Consequently I chose, just to put the mixture into the freezer and stir every half hour to mix thoroughly .The quantities given here make about a litre.

:1 small very ripe Canteloupe melon,

: juice of a lemon

:3 eggs

:3/4 cup (170 grms) caster sugar

:1 cup full cream milk (240 MLS )

:1 cup thick or double cream (240 MLS )
Whisk the eggs with the sugar until light and fluffy, add the milk and the cream, whisk to blend. pour into a container and freeze for about half an hour, stir, freeze again, and repeat, several times.

Meanwhile scoop out the melon,, mash using a hand held blender, put this also into the freezer.
When the ice-cream base is fairly stiff all over, stir in the mashed melon.

Return to freezer, stir a couple of times and then leave to set.
Remember to remove from the freezer, about 15 mins before use.
The same base can be use but substitute , a pound of strawberries for the melon.