Create a flavor! Win some tickets.

I gave it a valiant effort, but sadly have to file this under fail. After receiving the ice cream maker Kitchen Aid attachment with the wedding loot, I made it my mission to recreate the incredible olive oil, chocolate and sea salt gelato found at fine Atlanta restaurant Ecco.

Sadly, when I attempted to use this recipe, the flavor was decidedly off. [No blame to the recipe maker, you should definitely check out Desert Candy's extensive ice cream recipe listing! Avocado! Sour cream brown sugar! Innovation at it's finest.]

Perhaps my custard was overcooked? Proportions off? Eggs old? Though my dear husband is pointing his finger at the dreaded STORE BRAND OLIVE OIL. [insert dramatic chipmunk]

I should have used the good stuff we picked up at Star Provisions from our local cheese-mongerer. @timthecheeseman allows customers to sample oils from various regions and countries, and bring the bottle back in for reduced price refills. Delicious and sustainable!

Really, to make the olive oil and chocolate ice cream happen, I should have called on Jake for help. That's Jake of Jake's Ice Cream, local Atlanta ice cream kingpin, who is partnering with the annual A Taste of the Highlands benefit event to create a new ice cream flavor in honor of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. You know, for the kids.

So, if you have any winning suggestions (HINT HINT, see suggestion above), please submit your ideas to the Create a Flavor contest by the end of the week. First, second and third prize ideas will win free tickets to the Taste of the Highlands event on May 15, 2010. Go forth and ideate!

One Ingredient Ice Cream

Bananas. I never was good at holding secrets. And this one ingredient ice cream sure feels like a secret.

I like a good, ripe banana. The ones some people use for banana bread- half brown? Those have the sweetest, most banana-y flavor to me. Sometimes I can't finish a bunch before they turn too dark, even for me, so I toss them into the freezer. From there they usually turn into banana bread, but now I have the perfect summer idea, as Atlanta slowly eases into spring on this beautiful weekend.

I'm sure you have eaten them in their normal state, as frozen, chocolate-covered confections they only sell in summer months, and now I have a brand new way for you to eat them. And it was so unbelievably awesome how a frozen banana turned into a creamy, perfectly textured ice cream that was actually good for me, I can't even tell you. I saw this here, and thought it was a total myth. Turns out the myth is real.

One Ingredient Ice Cream
Serves 1

1 banana

1. Freeze banana. You can cut into chunks then freeze, or chuck the whole thing peel and all into the freezer.

2. Place chunked banana in food processor. Process until its creamy.

3. Eat

I threw in some chocolate covered almonds and made it two ingredient ice cream. The options are endless, anything that goes with banana would be good to toss in the food processor here.
Options:

• a drizzle of salted caramel sauce
• a drizzle of chocolate sauce of some sort
• toasted nuts
• peanut butter
• chocolate chips
• spices: cinammon, cayenne, vanilla extract, etc