a truly exemplary summer sunday (HHDD - Sorbet)

the day broke here in new york, hot and humid and sunny, the sort of day where one can barely see the skyline through the soup.

a perfect day for an outing and for something cool and icy.

after pancakes for breakfast, i set out for a walk with my friend aaron. we took the R down to city hall and spent the morning walking over the brooklyn bridge, stopping often in the shady bits for a respite and a few gulps of water. by the time we got over, it was lunchtime, and at his offer of lunch i suggested my favorite summertime splurge: ice cream instead of a meal. i must warn that this indulgence is not for the faint of heart, and its privilege is not one to be abused. it is for really hot, gross, sticky days full of exertion and good company ONLY. use with care. we stopped in brooklyn heights at the truly excellent creamery, where we each had the vanilla chocolate crunch. this ice cream was so pure that you could actually taste the cream in it, an oasis in a world full of edys.

this just got me in the mood for more frozen goodness, especially when i fell back through the door of my own apartment late in the afternoon, soaked in sweat and barely capable of forward movement. having had a milkshake for lunch, i couldn't justify another one, no matter how much the quart of homemade strawberry ice cream was calling me from the freezer. i turned, as ever, to my beloved kitchen diaries for inspiration and found what i was looking for: orange yogurt water ice.

i spent yesterday at the union square greenmarket on a quest for sour cherries and new summer garlic, but came home with 5 quarts of cherries, some fresh buttermilk and some fresh yogurt. i disposed of the buttermilk in the pancakes but when i saw this recipe i knew i had found the perfect vessel for the yogurt.

the technique is simple: prepare a simple sugar syrup, take several squeezed oranges, add some squeezed lemon, and the zest of one or two of the oranges. pour in the yogurt. stir vigorously and freeze. nigel writes, wisely as always, "it complements any summer fruit, but especially lusciously ripe peaches and aprictos. perhaps the prettiest way to serve it is as i did, the pale orange water ice surrounded by dark red cherries still attached to their stalks."

he's never steered me wrong before, and i did have all of those quarts in the fridge. i set to. the first swallow was fresh and cold with the smoothness imparted from the yogurt, cooling me to my very soul and making moot the fact that i skipped dinner.

i offer my water ice for this month's "hey, hey it's donna day -- sorbet," hosted by eat drink live.