Nectarine, Peach, & Fig Ice Milk

My grandfather, Ode (short for Odell), was a funny guy. He could have the whole room laughing before he even told a single joke. In fact, I don't recall that he ever got through an entire joke to deliver the punch line. He would get ahead of himself, start chuckling, and then that was it; we'd all lose it. Knee-slapping, eyes crying, gasping for breath, we would all beg him to finish the joke, but by that time the punch line could not have been more fun than the laugh we were already having. 

Every summer there came a time. Ode would stand atop the step stool, reach far back into the top shelf of the pantry, and bring down the cedar bucket along with the crank to attach to the top. We'd gather the rest of the materials: rock salt, ice, cream, sugar, and a brown paper bag of ripe peaches. I'd mix up the cream and sugar per his instruction as he removed the pits and sliced the peaches. He did not waste precious time dicing or blending the peaches; we'd just throw the big slices into the bowl. Plop...plop...plop. I could not take the anticipation. Once the ice cream container was submerged in ice and concealed by the cedar bucket, I knew it would not be long. We'd take turns turning the crank. There was a strict no-peeking rule. Thirty minutes later, which seemed more like 30 years, we'd scoop generous bowlfuls of peach ice cream and distribute them to all of the family members -- even though they didn't help. Then it was time. Time for peach ice cream.

Nectarine, Peach, & Fig Ice Milk

2 cups of lowfat milk

1/2 cup of sugar

dash of vanilla

2 nectarines

6 small peaches

12 small figs

Peel Peaches and nectarines then blend all fruit

add milk and sugar

pour mixture into ice cream maker

wait

wait

wait

eat!