I honestly don’t know where the time has gone. Somehow the end of summer swooped by and flew off without me. Suddenly it’s September and we’re all trying to squeeze it in, trying to soak up the sun and the warmth and the endless possibilities of a late summer day, before the leaves begin to fall and the rain comes and we have to head inside and hunker down.
To be honest with you, I’m ready for some hunkering. As much as I don’t want to give up the long days of sunlight, there’s part of me that yearns for routine and schedule and newly sharpened pencils in the beginning of September. I like the scarves I’ve been wearing this week, and the new red jacket I bought myself. Fall’s not so bad—not bad at all.
Happily, we have plums and pears to smooth the transition, and gardens are bursting with late-summer goodness. My friend Knox has two huge shiso plants in his garden, beautiful red shiso that is going gangbusters; I have a plant myself. What to do with it? This is what we were talking about the other day.
I wish I could explain exactly what the Asian herb shiso tastes like (it’s also called perilla, silam, deulkkae or tŭlkkae, depending where in Asia you are). I’ve tried and failed. You can’t apply the usual words to the flavor of shiso. It’s not spicy or sweet or tart or bitter. Shiso tastes like nothing else I know, deep and mysterious. It is the flavor of indigo blue.
Shiso comes in two varieties—red and green—and is often used in savory dishes. In Japan it is served with sushi and sashimi, tempura-fried, or used in salad dressings. It also gives the characteristic red color and flavor to umeboshi, the Japanese pickled plums.
But what to make with my red shiso? I had to think awhile until I hit on the perfect thing: plum-shiso sorbet.
And that is exactly what I did, gathering some of the Santa Rosa plums that are so gorgeous right now. I steeped the shiso in a simple syrup and blended it all together. The result was a brilliant pink-red sorbet that tasted deep and mysterious. It was mildly sweet, a little tart, with the fragrance and flavor of shiso that is indescribable.
It is the flavor of indigo blue, now staining my bowl and heralding the very end of summer. It’s a taste to hold onto as the seasons change. Gather the sweetness while ye can.
PLUM-SHISO SORBET
In making up this recipe I consulted with my frozen dessert bible—David Lebovitz’s book The Perfect Scoop—for inspiration. If you like ice cream and sorbet, you should consider adding this book to your library. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
1 lb (4 cups) ripe Santa Rosa plums, pitted and cut into eights.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2-3 tbs fresh red shiso leaves (use 3 tbs if you really like the flavor of shiso, as I do)
In a medium pot, put the pitted plum pieces and mash them with a potato masher, a fork, or just use your hands. Bring to a slow simmer and cook on low heat until the plums have cooked to a uniform sauce with no lumps and the color from the peels has infused the mixture (25-30 minutes).
In a small saucepan, simmer the water and sugar until fully dissolved. Add the shiso leaves and continue to simmer 15 minutes.
Add the sugar/shiso mixture (leaves included) to the plum mixture. Blend, using an immersion blender or in a stand blender. It’s okay if there are flecks of shiso in the mixture.
Allow mixture to cool completely, chill in the fridge, and process in an ice cream mixer according to directions. When finished, remove from mixer and put into a freezer-safe container. Freeze until ready to use. Remove from freezer and allow to soften slightly before serving.
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If you really enjoy shiso, I'd recommend you try sesame leaves, if you haven't already yet. Sesame leaves look very similar to shiso, though has a different flavour profile, similarly indescribable, "deep and mysterious." How lovely your writing is.
seohyung
http://briefsyzygy.blogspot.com
Ha! Just checking your site in case you've been at it again, and voila! Another beautiful post with gorgeous photos. And informative too!
I know what you mean about fall and hunkering down–I'm always inspired to cook more this time of year and pull out more books. And because of your blog I'm going to hop in my Subie now, drive down the hill to downtown Ballard, and see if that scarf I admired last week is still there.
Then buy it (I hope).
Thanks!
jill
http://www.pacificnwseasons.blogspot.com
I didn't know there was a such thing as red shiso! I'd only ever seen green shiso. That's amazing – I bet it's delicious.
I've never commented before, but I really enjoy your blog
that looks intriguing. i don't think i've had shiso before. is it the same as perilla? i love the ice cream's intense color!
Seohyung–I've never even heard of sesame leaves, how intriguing. I will seek them out, thanks for the recommendation and kind words.
Jill–I am always happy to help facilitate scarf purchases! A friend turned me on to Eileen Fisher scarves, with the only problem being now I want to send an obscene amount of money on neckwear (useful in Seattle, but still…).
Angelique–so glad you commented! (I love first time commenters:-). Green shiso is perhaps more common–at least more commonly used in savory cooking. Red is mostly used to make umeboshi, the Japanese pickled plums. I think the flavor is slightly more delicate (and the leaves are less furry). Thanks so much for your kind words. Much appreciated!
Beyond–yes, shiso and perilla are the same thing. Shiso is the Japanese name.
Now this is a interesting combo – would love to try it. I wanted to grow shiso this year but couldn't find seeds. I'm going to make it a point to find some so that next year I can try cool experiments like this one!
Looks great! Shiso is a beautiful herb, or is it your photographs making it look especially pretty?
About red jackets (and windbreakers). September often reminds me of a favorite red windbreaker I used to wear when I was 7 or 8 years old. In Chicago we used to begin the school year in mid-September and I loved going back to school and wearing my simple hooded red windbreaker. I must have only been able to wear it for a year or two because we grow so quickly at that age, yet it is still such a strong memory. I'm not sure why it was so special, but it brought me great joy.
I wish you much happiness in your red jacket!
Okay…I have never had shiso…red or otherwise. Yikes….where have I been? Where can I find this….does it go by another name? This looks so very very good…yum
That looks delicious. Beautiful plums! I love it.
sounds like a delicious combination…autumn is almost here too
What a beautiful looking sorbet!
I am sooooooooo glad you are back! I missed your commentary immensely. Happy Autumn!!!
such a beautiful sorbet, i love plums!
love your blog by the way
xo
Eliza
I LOVE the sound of this sorbet, I can see how those flavours would work. The colour is fantastic too.
I've only ever eaten shiso leaves one way, with pickle and rice, but it has such a unique flavor I know it would match interestingly with the plums. You always have such a creative way of pairing things. And the colors – magnifique!
The indigo blues in your post are gorgeous. I remember writing a poem in a poetry workshop once about the color purple, and in it I talked about "autumn purple" and my fellow poets tried to convince me that purple was not an fall color! (Orange, Red, Yellow, Brown, Green, even, but no purple – according to them.) But you would have known what I meant! (Don't worry, I stuck to my guns on that one. Purple IS an autumn color.)
Hola!! estoy muy contenta de haber encontrado tu blog, tienes unas recetas deliciosas y las fotos son preciosas…volvere a visitarte a menudo…besos!!
I am so glad that you are back. I have missed you !
And what a gorgeous, color saturated post this is.
I am ready for some quiet time myself… but that is still a long way off. There are bulbs to plant and beds to prep for next year. But I am enjoying the thought, as I read your blog and sip my coffee on this misty New England morning. I think I shall go to the orchard for some plums…
-Michaela
I love shiso.
I had a friend mail me packets of yukari (the furikake made from shiso) from Japan in the fall. Addicted to the stuff.
So glad you are back! It always makes my day a little better in the midst of hectic grad school when I can take a minute out to read a new post
Oh those photographs! The color is unreal. I've never had shiso- sometimes I think I have been hiding under a rock. The sorbet looks fabulous.
I took my red shiso, made an infusion and ended up with some garnet colored jars of jelly.
It's mysterious tasting and will be delicious on a slab of grilled pork.
I can not believe I was not invited down to try this sorbet!
Next year I am going to grow more shiso and do better at pinching it back.
I love shiso! What a great idea for sorbet.
Dana–I bought my shiso plant at an Asian market, but I have also bought seeds from Kitazawa, who has all sorts of cool Asian veggies/herbs.
Denise–aww, what a sweet story. I rather love my red jacket too. Think we are going to be very happy together!
Trish–I'd look in Asian markets. Shiso is also called Perilla (and a few other names listed in the post). Ask around for it, it's lovely.
Molly–thanks! The plums right now are amazing.
Kat–autumn in Japan, please enjoy it for me!
Annabelle–Thanks, I was happy with the color, it's lovely.
Anon–thanks for the warm welcome back! I missed being here too (and my awesome blog readers:-)
Eliza–thank you so much.
Alice–isn't the color lovely? It was a nice surprise.
Tanita–mmmm, shiso and rice and pickles. Mmmmm.
Hopie–are you kidding me? Purple plums, purple grapes, purple is the deepest heart of fall! Glad you resisted the masses:-)
MªJose-Dit i Fet–thank you. Besos to you too!
Michaela–you're right, fall is a busy time in the garden (I have to pull up my summer only community garden plot soon, so sad). Hope you enjoy the season.
Ellen–I love the shiso furikake too, and the ume (sour plum).
Beth–thank you, my dear. You just made MY day:-)
Barbara–not at all, shiso is a rather unusual ingredient. I lived in Japan for years, got hooked on the stuff.
Knox–there's sorbet in the freezer for you, my friend. Your shiso plants were the inspiration.
Mimi–isn't it good stuff? I love it too.
amazing, amazing color tea! gorgeous shiso leaves!
wow! so beautiful! I can almost taste those photographs….
I have Korean perilla growing in my garden and it's one of my favorite summer treats. I think mint may be the closest herb it tastes like, but even then it's not really minty. It has such an unique taste.I love perilla in a spicy soy sauce dressing mixed with greens and cucumbers or paired with lettuce wraps. SO good!
The sorbet looks divine!
Such a lovely post. I've never had, or even heard of, shiso. Must now search it out.
Those leaves are so gorgeous! I think I'd stare at them for a long time before cooking them, ahah!
Beautiful sorbet. The color is so rich!
This looks delicious. Wonderful color, and I love the phrase "the flavor of indigo blue."
I'm ready for hunkering, too. And scarves.
I agree with katieleigh, :the flavor of indigo blue" reads like poetry.
Another shiso-virgin here… without any hope of finding it, I am afraid.
And the sesame leaves got me dreaming too, I wish I could try both, as "deep and mysterious" sounds too good to miss
Happy to see you back!
This looks so amazingly delicious. I don't know if you can get Shiso where I live – I've never heard of it – but I have been buying beautiful Santa Rosa plums at the market. Now I'm tempted to make sorbet out of them. It's pretty hard to not just eat them, though.
I don't know how you always manage to make anything look amazingly delicious even plums.
Another one for me to try to be sure.
Thank you!
I am a big fan of shiso. A Japanese lady supplies our local coop at the end of summer and I think I am their biggest buyer! I love to dice or tear the shiso and put it in my gazpacho. I also love the spicy green leaves on toasted sourdough bread with slices of heirloom tomato and olive oil. Or I put them in my green salad.
I had never thought of shiso with plum sorbet, but what a wonderful idea!
goodness, this looks stunning. we're having this summer one moment, fall another season, so i could try to make this on a warmer day? i need to figure out where to get shiso though.
I love all of this colour! I'm really starting to love plums (I know, I know) and I'm very curious about shiso. Tea, you are very enlightening.
I'm sitting here, trying to imagine the flavor of indigo blue. It's a fun exercise and all, but I have a feeling that eating a bowl of your sorbet and getting to taste this shiso for myself would be even more fun. Beautiful post.
Mmmmm, I started a mead a few weeks ago that is the color of elderberry magenta. And it smells even better. As for shiso, I'm off to go acquaint myself with some soon. Thanks Tea!
LOL… leave it to you to introduce an ingredient as savory, then blindside us with something irresistibly sweet! Thanks for sharing. Glad to see you posting.
Ouuu, I like the look and sound of this one!
Here in Japan we make beni shoga (pickled ginger) and umeboshi (pickled plums) with Japanese ume plums (actually an apricot) and red shiso.
This is a very interesting take on red shiso and plums. It looks yummy, indeed! The color of red shiso is incredible and so vibrant!
I want to try making this someday soon. Thanks for the inspiration!
Yup, it is a mystery. Same thing happened here. The boys and I had the summer out in front of us, things to do, places to visit. We got 1 thing accomplished and now Z is in high school. I want a refund!
xo, Biggles
You are brilliant. I have twice as much volunteer shiso this year than the one plant I potted last year. And now my mouth is watering for some indigo blue as much for the name as the mystery of the flavor. Thank you.
oh wow, that looks really good. I'm going to make it…
that color is fabulous….
Wow…really beautiful photos! You're out of Seattle eh? Me too.
Nice writing, lovely blog. Ill absolutely have to visit more often.
Cheers,
Cherie
http://cheriepicked.com
A gorgeous colour indeed!
hi well u guessed it, it is my first time on ur site but i must admit the plum sorbet looks great. but i don’t have shisho leaves can i use something else may be like mint or… u know.
You can try using mint. It will taste completely different, but that doesn’t mean it might not taste good! Basil is another option, if you have access to that. Again, it will be a different product, but perhaps a good one. I haven’t tried these, so I cannot tell you for sure. Best of luck.