The Lush Chef

Libations used: 3/4 cup sour beer
Libations left over: more than half the bottle, so pour a glass for yourself and a friend and wait for that sorbet to freeze.
I haven't made ice cream or sorbet in a really long time, but now that we're getting into the heat of summer, that's going to change.  My favorite recipe book for frozen treats, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, has a recipe for fruit lambic sorbets.  Lambic is a sour beer that's traditionally made in the Pajottenland region just south of Brussels, Belgium.  They're sour, fruity and delicious! I picked up a bottle of Lindeman's Peche Lambic at Whole Foods, and a pound of fresh yellow peaches from the Sunday Farmers' Market to make this four ingredient sorbet.  This recipe is the perfect way to highlight your favorite stone fruits — try cherries, plums, nectarines, (or white peaches for a lighter flavor).  The sorbet is incredibly smooth and rich and truly captures the flavors of the season.  I plan on making batches of this all summer long.

Peach Lambic Sorbet - makes more than 1 quart
Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh peaches (about 3 big peaches)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup chilled lambic beer (I used Lindeman's Peach Lambic)

- Peel the skin off the peaches and remove pits.
- Add to a food processor and purée.
- In a medium sauce pan, add the purée, sugar and corn syrup.
- Bring to a simmer and stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Remove immediately from the heat and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Add the beer and put into your ice cream machine.
- Churn until the consistency is like soft whipped cream.
- Pack the sorbet mixture into a storage container and place some parchment paper directly against the surface.
- Cover and place in the coldest part of your freezer.
- Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until the sorbet is firm - I always need twice as long with my freezer.