1-2-3 Blackberry Sherbet

Kayla has news. The news. The news she told me at the kitchen table on a Sunday evening while Michael was in the high chair eating mashed banana and Devon was in the living room pretending not to listen. She said, "Granny, I'm pregnant. Again." Again. A second baby. A sibling for Michael. Another Henderson arriving in the world because the world isn't full enough yet, because the table isn't long enough yet, because twelve great-grandchildren is just getting started.

I set down my tea. I looked at her. She looked at me. Michael looked at both of us and said, "Mo," which was about the banana but which I am choosing to interpret as his vote for more family.

"How far along?" I asked. "Eight weeks," she said. "Due in October." October. Again. Harvest season. Again. Kayla Henderson-Brooks produces babies in October the way the garden produces tomatoes in July: reliably, abundantly, in a season that was made for arriving.

"Boy or girl?" I asked. "Too early to tell," she said. And then, quietly: "But if it's a girl, we want to name her Pearl. After Hattie Pearl." Pearl. My mother's name. The name on the cast iron skillet. The name on the recipe box. The name I say when I stand at the stove and need guidance. The name that has been the foundation of every meal I have ever made and every lesson I have ever taught and every Henderson who has ever eaten at this table. Pearl.

I did not speak for a long time. I looked at the cast iron skillet on the stove. I looked at the recipe box on the counter. I looked at the photo of Willie James on the windowsill. I looked at Michael, eating banana in the high chair, oblivious to the fact that he might have a sister named after the woman who started all of this. And then I said, "Kayla, if it's a girl, and you name her Pearl, I will make a cobbler the day she's born that will be the best cobbler I have ever made. Because Pearl — Hattie Pearl — is the cobbler. She is the skillet. She is the cornbread. And she deserves to come back."

Devon came in from the living room. He said, "Granny Dot, we're going to need a bigger table." I said, "Devon, we've always needed a bigger table. That's the whole story."

Now go on and feed somebody.

I’m not making the cobbler yet — that one belongs to Pearl’s birthday, and I intend to keep that promise. But a woman who has just heard that her great-granddaughter might carry Hattie Pearl’s name back into the world cannot simply sit still and wait for October. So I made this. Three ingredients, barely any fuss, the kind of thing you put together when your heart is too full for anything complicated. Blackberries because they’re what the season gives you, and because Hattie Pearl always said you start with what’s in front of you and you make something beautiful out of it.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes (includes freezing) | Servings: 6

Ingredients

4 cups fresh or frozen blackberries, thawed if frozen
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole buttermilk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of fine salt

Instructions

Puree the berries. Combine the blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 60 seconds.
Strain. Pour the puree through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the seeds and solids.
Mix in the buttermilk. Whisk the buttermilk and salt into the strained blackberry puree until fully combined. Taste and add a little more sugar if the berries are especially tart.
Churn or freeze. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer instructions, 20—25 minutes, until thick and creamy. Alternatively, pour into a shallow freezer-safe dish and freeze for 1 hour, then stir vigorously with a fork. Repeat every 45 minutes for 3—4 hours until smooth and scoopable.
Firm and serve. Transfer to a lidded container and freeze at least 1 hour before serving. Scoop into bowls and serve immediately. Leftovers keep in the freezer up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition (per serving)

1-2-3 Blackberry Sherbet — Made for the Day Pearl Comes Home