Strawberry Lime & Basil Sorbet

Not long ago, I posted a little recap of The Broke Socialite's Graze tour and raved about a refreshing strawberry cocktail served up at our last stop, Noon Midtown.    I managed to get the "recipe" from Reggie the mixologist, but because I'm old I don't remember everything he put in the cocktail.  What I do remember is strawberry, rum(?), lime, lemon and a basil simple syrup.  This is my attempt to recreate it in (non-alcoholic) sorbet form.   Since I gave my ice cream maker away, I had to use the old "stainless steel pan in the freezer" method which worked pretty well.   I also used agave nectar as a sweetener.   Recipe follows next...

Strawberry Lime Basil Sorbet

For the basil syrup:

1 cup water
1 cup light agave nectar
1/4 cup chopped basil
The juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp lemon juice

1 lb fresh (or frozen) strawberries

In a saucepan, combine water, lemon juice, lime juice, agave syrup and basil.  Stir over a low heat until agave nectar dissolves (about 1-2 minutes).  Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool for a bit, then place in the refridgerator to chill and allow basil to steep (about 1 hour).  After an hour, strain the mixture and set aside.

In the meantime, puree strawberries in a blender or food processor.  Strain the pureed strawberries before combining with the basil/lime syrup. 

If you have a ice cream maker, follow the normal procedure.  If you don't have one (like yours truly), pour the stawberry mixture into a stainless steel pan and freeze for three to four hours.  Remove pan from freezer and allow to partially thaw at room temperature.  Give the partially thawed sorbet another whirl in the blender to break up any large ice crystals.  Transfer the sorbet to a container and allow to freeze again for at least three hours (stirring the sorbet at half-hour intervals).   Enjoy!