Seasoned to Taste: Lemon-Ginger Frozen Yogurt

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Next to food, I love language best. Which means writing this column is, well, icing on the cake because I get to savor the words behind the recipes. Research almost any ingredient and there, along with details of its origins and evolution in the natural world, is the often complex tale of its linguistic journey through history.

Which brings us to ginger. One of my all-time favorite flavors, it’s also a satisfying word, one of those happy cases of onomatopoeia. “Ginger” sounds just as spicy and piquant as it tastes. That fabulous flavor comes from the large fleshy rhizome (another great word!) of a reedlike plant that originated in South Asia. The botanists will correct us when we call it “gingerroot” because it’s not a root. It’s actually a stem, a rhizome being the horizontal stem of a plant, often found underground.

But whatever the scientists call it, I call it extraordinary. Ginger can transform dishes both sweet and savory with its zingy but not overwhelming pungence. And the capacity of Zingiber officinale to enliven is no doubt why “to ginger” or “to gin up” is to add animation and spice to an activity.

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I never approach ginger gingerly. The more the better. (“Gingerly,” by the way, meaning “daintily,” comes not from the word ginger at all but rather the Latin gentius, “well-born.” Go figure.) Although I do have to admit that there can, in fact, be too much ginger, as in the case of  a friend who long ago befell a cooking club typo. Instead of “3 TBS. grated fresh ginger,” the recipe said “3 LBS.” So this conscientious club member scoured numerous grocery stores to come up with 3 pounds of ginger, which she then dutifully grated into a dish that became quite inedible.

But other than going to extremes, I haven’t yet found much that ginger doesn’t make better. Stir-fries and sauerbraten on the savory side. Ginger and lemon tea so naturally sweet it’s easy to drink sugar-free. The ginger mojito my favorite bartender makes.

And then there’s candied ginger. Also known as crystallized ginger, this sweetened stuff can be eaten, well, just like candy. But it’s also a surprising secret ingredient in green salads, minced and sprinkled over just about any fruit (but particularly divine on sliced oranges or clementines). And then there’s candied ginger with dark chocolate. You can spend a fortune buying chocolate-dipped ginger. Or you can go to the food co-op or bulk spice section and buy candied ginger and good dark chocolate and serve both on a plate for an elegant dessert at a fraction of the cost.

But my latest ginger jag has been fueled by something from the freezer. Something that’s easy, elegant and way more decadent-tasting than its low calories and fat would suggest. This frozen yogurt “gins up” the ginger flavor with lemon, plain yogurt and the surprising addition of buttermilk to create a dessert that’s supremely satisfying on its own. Or it’s a delightful contrast to fresh strawberries or mangoes or one of these days, peaches. You even can up the ginger quotient with a sprinkle of candied ginger on top!

No ice-cream maker at your house? Pour the mixture into a shallow layer in a freeze-worthy dish or pan and stir occasionally as it freezes to break up ice crystals. Or you could pour the mixture into popsicle molds or ice cube trays. No matter how you freeze it, this gingery lemony frozen confection will have you pronouncing the best food word of all: delicious.

Lemon-Ginger Frozen Yogurt

This frozen treat is low in calories and fat. If freezing overnight, thaw briefly in the microwave, stopping to stir, or let the frozen yogurt stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

¾ cup water

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup light corn syrup

2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Bring water, sugar, syrup, and ginger to boil in medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil 2 minutes. Strain into medium bowl and chill until cool. Whisk in yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice and lemon peel. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions, cover and freeze. (Or pour in shallow layer and freeze, stirring occasionally.)

Source: Bon Appetit

Lynne Ireland lives to eat and welcomes comments and questions from others who do (or don’t). Contact her at     savor@journalstar.com.