Summer Girl's Night

The menu:

Tom Collins

Fill glass with ice, add a splash (or more) of gin, and fill glass with sparkling lemonade.  Drink and be happy.

Fresh dill pasta salad (adapted from All Recipes)

8 ounces pasta
1 cup full fat yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
Juice of half a lemon
about 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
salt and pepper to taste
diced tomatoes, cucumbers and onions to taste

Cook pasta until tender; drain and rinse under cold water to cool.  Mix yogurt, sour cream, lemon, mustard, and dill.  Gently stir in pasta.  Mix in salt to taste and refrigerate.  Add chopped vegetables soon before serving.

Strawberry ice cream (adapted from Chowhound)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon St Germain elderflower liquor (if desired)
2 pints strawberries hulled and cut in large dice (about three cups)

Combine cream, milk and 3/4 cup of the sugar in a large saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.  Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks in a large bowl until foamy and light in color (about three minutes).  Remove cream mixture from heat and slowly pour about 1 cup into the egg yolks, whisking all the while.  Pour the tempered egg/cream mixture back into the pan and cook over medium heat until custardy (when you draw a finger across the stirring spoon, the custard will set and not run back on itself).  Remove custard from heat and strain into a heat-proof bowl.  Stir in vanilla and St. Germain, and let cool in the fridge for at least an hour.  Meanwhile, combine the strawberries and remaining sugar in a medium bowl.  Let macerate for at least ten minutes at room temperature, and use a potato masher to mash until saucy.  Add to the cooling ice cream base, and let cool overnight in the fridge.  Freeze in an ice cream maker.