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ABOVE: Andrea LaFazia adds the showstopping liquid nitrogen to her ice cream creations. LEFT: Giguere helps a student shape their glass.
a stovetop and other ice cream making tools. Leading our class is Andrea LaFazia, a chef who helped open Troop.
The ice cream shop was born in large part due to the Johnston farm, which had an apiary and lots of lavender growing. They used the ingredients in a honey lavender ice cream, which they sold on the farm and at events. After positive feedback, they used the farm’ s basil in a lemon basil ice cream, and an idea was born.
“ The thing that makes Gather special is everything we do is an experience that we can share,” LaFazia says.“ So, we decided that it wasn’ t enough to just make our own ice cream— we had to teach people how to make ice cream.”
Gather began renovating the space next to the glassblowing studio two years ago and opened the ice cream shop last July. The shop is open for ice cream making classes and premade ice cream purchases.
After hearing the shop’ s backstory, it’ s time to decide our flavor base. Options include vanilla, chocolate and coffee made from New Harvest coffee beans.
I decide on my flavor: chocolate-strawberry. After mixing some cracked eggs, milk and other ingredients on the stovetop, the base goes inside a freezer to harden while we decide on our mix-ins. Some, like marshmallows and peanut brittle, are made in-house. I go for the cookie dough globs and waffle cone bits.
LaFazia starts churning the ice cream
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