Illustrations by John Burgoyne   (Photo: Hannah Whitaker)

The first wave of local strawberries from New Jersey farms like Kernan and Yuno’s have hit the Greenmarkets, and it pretty much goes without saying that they’re far more succulent and flavorful than any outsize specimens you’ll find shipped in from California. The General Greene’s Nick Morgenstern recommends the Earliglow and Tristar varieties and this recipe for do-it-yourself fro-yo, below.

Nicholas Morgenstern’s Strawberry-Brown-sugar Frozen Yogurt

2 pints strawberries
1 cup light-brown sugar
1/4 cup milk powder
4 1/4 cups whole milk
2 1/2 cups yogurt (like Fage)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or to taste
Pinch of sea salt

Rinse, dry, and stem the strawberries. (1) Slice them into halves or quarters depending on size. Combine the brown sugar and milk powder in a mixing bowl and set aside. In a saucepan, scald the milk over medium heat. (2) Pour approximately half the milk into the sugar mixture. Whisk to combine. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and cook over low heat until the sugar and milk powder are fully dissolved. Pour mixture into a metal mixing bowl and cool in an ice bath. Place yogurt in another mixing bowl. Add the milk-and-sugar mixture. (3) Slowly whisk to combine. Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt, and taste for acid and balance. Place the strawberries in the cylinder of an ice-cream maker. Add the yogurt mixture. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Related:

• Archive: “In Season”
• Articles by Robin Raisfeld | Rob Patronite
• Table of Contents: Jun 8, 2009 issue of New York | Subscribe!