by Gay Cook
As we head into August and the weather becomes warmer with less rain, it’s the perfect time to enjoy new delicious ice cream cone with a choice of vanilla, chocolate or salty caramel and a dribble if chocolate sauce if desired. Or perhaps dig into a dish with scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream. For an added bonus make your own fresh local pureed strawberry sauce.
I was so lucky when “The Merry Dairy” moved into the vacant corner store at Fairmont and Gladstone Street just down the street from where I live in Ottawa. I had to write the story about this new delicious ice cream in the Millstone News.
The story is about Marlene Haley who wished to start a business to make and sell top quality ice cream made from scratch with a true custard base. In Marlene’s research she found an ice cream truck for sale in Pennsylvania so she headed there, bought the truck and drove it back to Ottawa five years ago. The ice cream truck often sits outside the store at the corner of Fairmont and Gladstone Streets where Marlene makes from scratch the creamy frozen custard ice cream including chocolate, vanilla, salty caramel, maple cookies and cream.
Marlene also drives the truck to different areas in and around Ottawa for events from schools, street parties and community events to festivals. The store is open each day from noon until 9 p.m. for walk-in-trade or Friday and Saturday from noon until 10 p.m. for ice cream cones or scoops of ice cream.
For information; email: mar@the merrydairy.com
Fresh Strawberry Sauce
makes 1 cup (250 ml)
- 1 pint (500 ml) fresh strawberries
- 1 to 3 tbsp (15 to 45 ml) sugar or maple syrup to taste
Remove stem and any leaves from the strawberries. Add berries to food processor and puree until finely minced. Add the maple syrup or sugar to taste.
The sauce is ready to serve.
