Readers of my Delicious! newsletter and Esra column will know that I've enjoyed a love affair with Israel for a lifetime though I only realized my dream of aliyah a little over two years ago.

As a teenager I sought my Israel 'fix' as often as possible and, at the age of 18, came to Jerusalem on a working holiday where I found a job serving ice-cream in a little ice-cream parlor on Ben Yehuda Street.

The heat that year was especially unbearable and the little shop was thronged with customers until as late as 3 am. Tourists from all over the world stood side by side with Israeli students and families debating the merits of the different flavors and I loved listening to the lilt of all the different languages as I poured batter into a pan to make crispy waffle cones and perfected my technique for producing the perfect ice-cream scoop.

My favorite time of the night, however, was when the crowds finally left and the street cleaner would trundle down the street on his little cart and carefully polish every stone on the ancient, cobbled path in anticipation of another busy day.

Dawn was often breaking by the time we'd finished cleaning up and I will never forget the sight of the walls of Jerusalem, tinged pink by the early sun-rise, as the store manager ferried the tired staff home.

I offer you this Delicious! parve ice-cream in tribute to those carefree, summer days.

Forever summer nutty granola ice-cream

Ice-cream

8 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups non-dairy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 packet vanilla pudding

Granola

1 cup sugar

100grams margarine

1 cup chopped peanuts

1 cup flour

Method

1: Beat the egg whites with sugar for approximately 5 minutes till thick and frothy.

2: Add egg yolks and vanilla and continue beating.

3: Pour in non-dairy cream and vanilla pudding and beat well until the mixture has increased in volume.

4: Mix sugar, softened margarine, nuts and flour with your fingers and place on a baking tray.

5: Bake at 180 C for approximately 20 to 25 minutes till golden brown.

6: Break into pieces and stir through ice-cream sprinkling some on top.

7: Pour into container and freeze.

For details about Delicious! cooking and table-setting classes – or to sign up for my free weekly newsletter containing recipes, shopping hints and course news – contact me today on 052 621 5851 or send me an email at delicious.newsletter@gmail.com