Put some green in yer ice cream

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I DON'T LOVE ICE CREAM. Rarely do I crave ice cream. But when I do, very distinct flavors come to mind. When I was a kid, I loved smurf ice cream. I can't describe the taste. I don't think it was blueberry—just blue. But I remember it being delicious, icy, and tongue-staining, which, at that age, was fun.

After moving to Houston, my father took me to Baskin Robbins, where, out of 31 flavors, I chose margarita ice. In college, I discovered yogurt flavored ice cream at La King's Confectionary in Galveston. In New York, the corn ice cream at Sundaes and Cones, or just Cones. And, last but not least, Hasaki's black sesame ice cream—a nice complement to a sip of the hot green tea the black-Converse-wearing waiter brings you after your meal.

A recent taste of Princeton's Halo Pub (9 Hulfish Street) homemade pistachio ice cream got me thinking about, well, pistachio ice cream. Last night, in charge of dessert, I considered mixing raw pistachio nutmeats with a pint of vanilla Häagen-Dazs, à la Marble Slab, but instead decided to improvise a purée. It was a hit.

Pistachio purée
1 cup raw pistachio nutmeats
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons milk

Blend in a food processor until creamy. Spoon a dollop on vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.