Fresh Mint Ice Cream with Strawberries and Whipped Cream

Combine the milk, cream, and fresh mint in a medium saucepan and heat until just slightly bubbling around the edges. Remove from the heat and cover. Let stand for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl, pressing down to remove as much of the liquid as possible. Discard the mint leaves. Place the strainer over a large bowl and set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl and then set aside. Return the milk mixture to the saucepan. Add the sugar and salt and heat until warm. Slowly whisk the warm milk into the egg yolks. Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately pour the mixture through the prepared strainer into the large bowl. Let cool completely (the quickest way to do this is over an ice water bath) then refrigerate until chilled. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions. Transfer to an air tight container and freeze until firm.

Serve with strawberries and lightly sweetened whipped cream.

For the Strawberries: Combine once cup of quartered strawberries with 2-4 tablespoons of sugar and toss well. Let stand for 15 minutes or until the strawberries release some juice.