HVC’s Newest Flavor: Shoreline Swirl Salted Caramel

HVCreameryNews, Truckin' Around, What's Churning?

By now you know that Harmony Valley Creamery strives to create the best craft ice cream around. Unlike giant commercial operations, we don’t churn out flavors (see what we did there?!) without making sure they reach our high expectations for taste, quality and our commitment to using local products. With that in mind, we are proud to introduce the newest flavor to make the cut: Shoreline Swirl Salted Caramel! And, it is just in time for Halloween!

Introduced to US palates in the late 1990s, salted caramel gained a devoted following. The flavor, which originated in France, was initially embraced by local foodies. It didn’t take long for the irresistible combination of sweet and salty to gain momentum, resulting in its meteoric rise as the demand for salted caramel-flavored treats grew. Many places rushed through the process, quickly bringing salted caramel products to market. For that reason, America quickly discovered that not all salted caramel products are created equal. That’s why Harmony Valley Creamery took our time, carefully crafting a product we are proud to serve and you will be delighted to eat! Our Shoreline Swirl Salted Caramel has swirls of sweet, buttery caramel, bits of toffee crunch and flaked sea salt. Wow.

We are excited to be offering Shoreline Swirl Salted Caramel exclusively at the Scoop Truck. Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy our newest flavor:

  • We all love a caramel apple, well how about apple drizzled with our Shoreline Swirl Salted Caramel ice cream for fall? Yes, we are drooling, too!
  • Coffee too strong? Don’t toss it! Chill it in the refrigerator, then mix it in a high-powered blender along with a large dollop of Shoreline Swirl Salted Caramel and a cup of ice. This is the kind frozen drink dreams are made of!
  • Make your own 3-scoop sundae! We’ve found Shoreline Swirl Salted Caramel ice cream pairs especially well with Harmony Chapel Chocolate and Mayor Freddy’s Vanilla Bean.

Ready to track down some Shoreline Swirl Salted Caramel? Just stop by our Scoop Truck in Harmony, CA, open every Saturday and Sunday from 12pm – 4pm! Contact us to find out when you will be able to snag your own pint in stores!

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Favorite Wine and Ice Cream Pairings for Fall

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favorite wine and ice cream pairingsSometimes you need to treat yourself and, in our opinion, ice cream and wine together are the most decadent way to celebrate. Don’t insult a fancy bottle of wine with just any ice cream! Pair it eloquently with a scoop of Harmony Valley Craft Ice Cream. Here are six of our favorite wine and ice cream pairings:

School’s Out Strawberry and Rosé

If your favorite color is pink, you’re in luck – rosé wines pairs perfectly with Harmony Valley School’s Out Strawberry! And while rosé may be a “summer wine,” we all know on the Central Coast, September is still summer! While red wine is made by fermenting grapes with the skins on, rosé wine is stained pink by fermenting the grapes with their skins on for only part of the process. Rosé has flavors like strawberry, honeydew, citrus and rose petal – an excellent pairing with the fruitiness of strawberry ice cream.

Harmony Chapel Chocolate and Port

When the weather does start to change, what goes better with chocolate than more chocolate? Pair port, a dessert wine with notes of chocolate, caramel and berries with Harmony Chapel Chocolate ice cream! Originally from Portugal, port was traditionally made by people stomping on grapes with their bare feet. These days, most wineries use machines with mechanical “feet” instead of manual laborers. Top Harmony Chapel Chocolate ice cream with fresh berries to bring out all of port’s flavorful notes.

Mayor Freddy’s Vanilla and Riesling

Vanilla is a blank canvas – it can pair with almost anything! However, our favorite wine to pair with Mayor Freddy’s Vanilla Bean ice cream is Riesling. Riesling, originally from Germany, contains flavors of lemon, lime, pineapple and apricots. Mayor Freddy’s Vanilla, with it’s sweet creamy flavor of Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans, is a perfect compliment to Riesling’s sweetness. Top your ice cream with ginger or cinnamon for a heavenly combination!

Blue Door Butter Pecan and Chardonnay

Chardonnay became one of the most popular wines in the world because it’s buttery flavor – pair it with a scoop of Blue Door Butter Pecan! Chardonnay is made with a method called malolactic fermentation – which gives the wine a “butteriness”. Less ripe Chardonnay will have flavors of lemon and apple. More ripe Chardonnay will have more tropical fruit flavors, like pineapple and mango. Both varieties are a perfect compliment to Blue Door Butter Pecan ice cream.

Local Yodelers Cookies ‘n Cream and Sauvignon Blanc

Pair Sauvignon Blanc with Local Yodeler’s Cookies ‘n Cream. Sauvignon Blanc is known for it’s bitter acidity and low amounts of sugar. It has herbal notes and is reminiscent of limes, apricots and peaches. It’s an excellent contrast to the velvety sweetness of  Local Yodeler’s Cookies ‘n Cream’s.

Doo Dah Mint ‘n Chip and Syrah

Syrah is the perfect match for Doo Dah Mint ‘n Chip ice cream! Syrah was brought by the French to Australia in the 1830’s – where they call it “Shiraz”. It’s one of the darkest red wines on the market and has flavors of berries, olive and pepper. It contains flavors of chocolate and mint – which make Doo Dah Mint ‘n Chip the perfect compliment. Syrah is also full of antioxidants – so you can feel a little less guilty about indulging.

Well, there you have it, now go out there and indulge!

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Three Reasons Craft Ice Cream is Better

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craft ice cream is betterIn a cup or in a cone, with friends or alone, there is no doubt that ice cream is one of America’s favorite treats.  You may have heard of craft beer, but did you know about craft ice cream? Craft ice cream stands out from its large-scale production cousins for a few reasons. Here are three reasons craft ice cream is better.

Exciting flavors

Artisan craft ice cream makers find flavor inspiration everywhere! Flavors can range from sweet to savory and will often change with the season based on availability of ingredients. Craft ice cream is made in small batches so if you see something that piques your interest make sure you try it before it’s gone! Harmony Valley Creamery features six signature flavors including the traditional chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and comfort favorites like cookies’n’cream, butter pecan and mint chocolate chip.

Focus on quality

Artisan ice cream makers frequently source local ingredients for their products in order to ensure the highest quality.  We pride ourselves on using fresh, natural California ingredients.  Since our ingredients do not have to travel far, they are fresher and in turn, lead to a better tasting ice cream.  You can also count on us skipping artificial flavors and preservatives found in many brand name ice creams, making our ice cream an all natural choice you can feel good about.

Supporting local businesses

Craft creameries are usually businesses staffed by a small team of passionate and dedicated individuals. We are proud to say that Harmony Valley Creamery is family owned and operated! When you purchase craft ice cream, you are not only supporting the local economy but you are supporting our dream to craft extraordinary dairy products, preserve our heritage, and be stewards to our neighbors, customers, and our planet. Supporting your business community while eating delicious creamy frozen treats is a win-win situation!

And, with anything, you get what you pay for. Sometimes, craft ice creams cost a little more cash, but in the end, the product is fresher, tastier and just plain better, and we would say worth it! We obviously love craft ice cream but don’t take our word for it.  If you haven’t experienced our craft ice cream yet, try it for yourself! Our signature flavors include Mayor Freddy’s Vanilla Bean, Schools Out Strawberry, Blue Door Butter Pecan, and more.  You can buy our pints at these locations, or check out our  Scoop Truck, open every weekend from 12pm – 4pm in sunny Harmony, CA!

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National Coffee Ice Cream Day Tomorrow

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What gives you a better reason to eat ice cream than celebrating National Coffee Ice Cream Day, on September 6th? This is one of those special holidays where you can get away with eating as much ice cream as you want, because it’s a special occasion! Coffee Ice Cream is a combination of two favorites, coffee and vanilla ice cream, and when mixed together, you’ll experience and energy kick like no other and a tastebud extravaganza!

Now not all coffee ice cream lovers drink coffee, in fact, they estimate that about one third of the coffee ice cream fans don’t drink coffee at all. But on this special food holiday, if you haven’t tried Coffee Ice Cream, you need to make it a point to taste test; you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

There’s very simple and easy way to make your own version of coffee ice cream. All it takes is a few minutes, some delicious vanilla ice cream and a jar of instant coffee. Regular or decaffeinated coffee both work the same.

The folks at Harmony Valley Creamery can get you started with some craft ice cream. At Harmony Valley they take pride in telling everyone far and wide that they’re the creamery from “the bite size town that’s big on flavor!” One of Harmony Valley’s best sellers is their Mayor Freddy’s Vanilla Bean. They say it’s Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans brings out the best in their velvety ice cream and after you taste it you’ll see exactly what they mean!

Now On To That Simple, Easy Recipe For Homemade Coffee Ice Cream!

  1. Put one to two scoops of Mayor Freddy’s Vanilla Bean in a bowl.

  2. Get one teaspoon of instant coffee powder.

  3. Sprinkle the instant coffee over the ice cream according to your personal preference. (The more the coffee, the more bitter the taste.)

  4. Enjoy!

It’s As Simple As That!

But if you want to skip the homemade coffee ice cream recipe and just buy some already made, then all you have to do is find an Utterly Awesome scoop truck and grab yourself some delicious Cowtown Coffee Bean Ice Cream, made with love from the Harmony Valley Creamery.

Harmony Valley Creamery as numerous locations in very convenient spots and if you’ve haven’t tried some of their spectacular craft ice cream flavors yet, well you need to! They’ve got a great variety of craft ice cream to choose from and there’s something for everyone! And be sure to contact them if you have any questions; they’re a friendly bunch that would love to hear from you.

So Don’t Forget!

National Coffee Ice Cream Day, Thursday, September 6th!

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Playing with Food: Ice Cream

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Photo by Fr. Ian Delinger

It’s summer and it’s hot outside. Ice cream is the summer favorite. But where did it come from? How did it impact society? And is there anything new? Ice cream’s versatility and utility goes beyond anyone’s imagination. Playing With Food will have you Screaming For Ice Cream!

Playing With Food: A monthly piece on unique ways of looking at everyday foods on the Central Coast by Fr. Ian Delinger

Listen now: http://www.kcbx.org/post/screaming-ice-cream 

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Invite the Scoop Truck to Your Wedding

HVCreameryChillin' in Harmony, Truckin' Around

What a joyous occasion it is to gather with family and friends to celebrate love. It’s even more special when that love goes back to childhood and plays a role in many of your best memories. Ah, yes, it was love at first bite…Oh, your wedding. Right. We were thinking about ice cream.

Your wedding is also a joyous occasion! What if we were somehow able to combine these two great loves: your love for each other, and everyone’s love for ice cream?

Harmony Valley Creamery knows how to do it: invite the Scoop Truck to your wedding!

Need help convincing someone that homemade ice cream is the perfect addition to your wedding? We didn’t think so. But just in case you want some reasons, anyway, we’ve got ’em:

  1. The Perfect Wedding Guest: The Scoop Truck arrives on time, doesn’t spill wine, and won’t cause any drama. In fact, craft ice cream has been known to prevent people from “putting their foot in their mouths” by keeping their mouths busy. (Does Great Aunt Madge still take issue with your color scheme? Just hand her another ice cream cone!)
  2. Simple and Convenient. We just roll up in the truck, serve ice cream, and leave. You won’t have to chase us out or, worse, clean up after us. It’s a wonderful touch to your day without adding any hassle.
  3. A Free Babysitter: Need someone to keep the kids occupied for a while during the reception? Send them to the Scoop Truck! (We don’t officially recommend craft ice cream in place of childcare. But it’s a nice helper.)
  4. Ice Cream is the New Black: It goes with everything! You can eat it (or wear it, we guess, usually accidentally) any time, any place. No matter your wedding colors or theme, ice cream fits right in.
  5. Adorable Photos: Your photographer can snap away as guests pose with their favorite flavors, especially when the Scoop Truck is a refurbished 1957 DIVCO! So rustic chic!
  6. The Fun Factor: Your guests can spoil themselves with cake AND ice cream, and the truck itself is a talking point.
  7. A Memorable Touch: “Remember that wedding with the ice cream truck?” YES! That was YOUR wedding! It’s not every wedding that has a Scoop Truck. (Although it should be. We’re working on it.)
  8. Another Dessert Option: We all love cake, except for those who only kind of love it. Ice cream is a sweet alternative for people who prefer to eat their dessert without forks.
  9. Cost-Effective: We have some great packages that can fit with most any budget.
  10. Surround Yourself With Love: You’ve got all your friends and family there to celebrate your marriage. Don’t forget that other great love in your life: ice cream. Include it in the celebration.

We’re not just dreaming big dreams here. You can reserve the Scoop Truck for your wedding or any other special occasion. Like Thursday, for example. Just contact us and we’ll make it happen!

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Central coast’s tiniest town: In Harmony, the melody is sound of silence

HVCreameryNews

Steve Rubenstein 

For years, Harmony has boasted that it has a population of 18 people.

It’s on all the T-shirts and the coffee mugs and the refrigerator magnets. Harmony, population 18.

That appears to be an exaggeration, because the 2010 census listed the population as 2. And that’s an exaggeration, too. The actual population of Harmony is 1.

“That would be me,” said Aarika Wells, who lives in a white house on the main street, which, in addition to being the main street, is the only street. “I can’t think of a better place to be stranded.”

Wells, a retired preschool teacher, is the official caretaker of Harmony. Her duties consist of making sure there are enough coffee pods in the town’s official Welcome Center, just across the street. The welcome center, a small room with some chairs and some Harmony brochures, is self-serve. With a population of 1, there is not a large workforce to call upon.

Continue reading: https://www.sfchronicle.com/travel/article/Central-coast-s-tiniest-town-In-Harmony-the-13146871.php

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National Ice Cream Sandwich Day is Today!

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There are many days worth celebrating (National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, anyone?!) but National Ice Cream Sandwich Day definitely tops the list as one of our favorites. Think about it: when choosing a dessert, you’re generally given a few options with the caveat that you can choose only one. But with an ice cream sandwich? You’re totally beating the system! Not only do you get to enjoy two soft-baked cookies, but you get to indulge in everyone’s favorite part: the rich and creamy ice cream center! You get two desserts for the price of one!

How Did The Ice Cream Sandwich Get its Start?

While ice cream sandwiches originally called for sponge cake, using cookies was a trend that began in our own state of California. In 1928, a San Francisco ice cream vendor sandwiched ice cream between two oatmeal cookies, topping the confection with a chocolate coating. People clamored to get a taste of this sweet new frozen treat. After all, what better vehicle for enjoying the ice cream they already loved than putting it on a cookie? The rest, as they say, is history.

How To Construct The Perfect Ice Cream Sandwich

Here at Harmony Valley Creamery we know that the most important component of the ice cream sandwich is the ice cream, and the quality of that ice cream can make or break your ice cream sandwich. Fortunately, with our udderly awesome lineup of homemade ice cream flavors, you can’t go wrong! We take pride in making only the best local ice cream for your Ice Cream Sandwich Day enjoyment. While the creation possibilities are virtually endless, here are a few of our favorite DIY mash-ups.

  • The PB&C: Harmony Chapel Chocolate sandwiched between peanut butter cookies
  • The Wholesome: Blue Door Butter Pecan sandwiched between oatmeal raisin cookies (It’s got nuts, fruit and oatmeal so it must be healthy, right?)
  • The Grasshopper: Doo Dah Mint Chip sandwiched between chocolate-chocolate chip cookies
  • The Cookie Monster: Local Yodelers Cookies and Cream sandwiched between chocolate chip cookies
  • The Rugged Californian: Mayor Freddy’s Vanilla sandwiched between trail mix cookies
  • The Chocolate-Covered Strawberry: School’s Out Strawberry sandwiched between chocolate cookies

What are your favorite ice cream sandwich combinations? We’d love to hear how you celebrate National Ice Cream Day with Harmony Valley Creamery’s signature craft ice cream flavors!

 

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Come to the Harmony Wine and Beer Festival

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Harmony wine beer festival

Do love good food? Award-winning wine? Craft beer? Local Ice Cream, awesome music and helping babies?? Well, we have the event for you! Wine, beer, entertainment, food, charity and ice cream; you’ll find them all at the very first Harmony Wine and Beer Festival.

On Saturday, August 4th, visit the small town of Harmony, CA (between Cayucos and Cambria on scenic Highway 1) for pours from over fifteen local wineries and breweries in San Luis Obispo County. These include Castoro Cellars, Cayucos Cellars, Harmony Cellars, Moonstone Cellars, Cass Winery, Niner Wine Estates, Still Waters Vineyard, Eos Winery, Bodega De Edgar, Summerwood Winery, Red Soles Winery, Chamisal Vineyards, Twin Coyotes Winery, Phantom Rivers Winery, Libertine Brewing, Three Stacks and a Rock Brewery, and more! Drink vendors add up to 18, kind of like the population of the town of Harmony… see what we did there?

A number of food trucks will also be there, ready to serve you as well including The Hurricane Kitchen, Boni’s Tacos, our very own vintage Scoop Truck, serving up cones and cups of local ice cream.

Live entertainment for the festival will be provided by Bear Market Riot, a self-described “power-folk Americana” duo from right here in our own backyard. They even just won the SLO Times 2018 Best of SLO “Best Band”!

The Harmony Wine and Beer Festival is a charitable event that benefits Infant Essentials, a local nonprofit that works to provide much needed infant supplies to homeless and low-income residents of San Luis Obispo County. Each ticket purchased helps Infant Essentials provide assistance to those in need.

Tickets to this unique, local festival are $55 per person. Get your tickets, and join us on August 4, 2018, from 1-4pm for an afternoon you won’t forget.

While visiting, don’t forget to stop by Harmony Glassworks and Harmony Pottery for a handmade piece of artwork for your home. You can even try your hand at glassblowing after sampling the festival fare!

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National Ice Cream Day is July 15!

HVCreameryNews

There are so many holidays to keep track of that it’s only natural for one or two to fall through the cracks. However, if you’re a fan of sweet treats, and you’d like to celebrate them, then you should mark your calendar to be sure you don’t miss out on National Ice Cream Day!

Wait, We Have One Of Those?

We do, in fact, have a National Ice Cream Day. Not only that, but we’ve had it since 1984 when President Ronald Reagan declared that the third Saturday of July would be dedicated to the celebration of summertime’s coolest cream. Which means that, come that particular summer weekend, there will be all sorts of events involving sundaes, cones, soft serve, classic, and a dozen other varieties of ice cream.

Why Did We Dedicate An Entire Day To Ice Cream?

Well, aside from ice cream’s obvious deliciousness, there was a deeper reason for Reagan’s proclamation that the third Saturday in the middle of the summer would be National Ice Cream Day. Because at least ten percent of all the milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers goes into making ice cream. That is a lot of milk, and Reagan wanted to do his part as president to stimulate the economy by making sure as many people had a reason to go get some ice cream as possible.

So, while there is definitely an economic undertone to the day according to NBC News, that hasn’t stopped us from reveling in the sheer pleasure that comes from having a reason to eat ice cream on a particular day… as if we really need a reason in the high heat of July.

How will you celebrate? Remember, you can pick up a pint from one of our many central coast retail locations, or visit the Scoop Truck in Harmony, CA every Saturday and Sunday from 1pm – 4pm or find us at the Thursday Farmer’s Markets in Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo! For more information about National Ice Cream Day, as well as about all things ice cream related, all you have to do is contact us today!

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