The reader who requested a recipe for buttermilk sherbet the way his mother used to make it was moved by more than nostalgia. This preparation is so light and so refreshing that it deserves a new vogue in the nineties.

Ingredients

　　4 cups buttermilk

　　1 1/2 cups light corn syrup

　　1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　the freshly grated zest of 4 lemons plus, if desired, strips of zest, removed with a vegetable peeler and sliced thin, for garnish

　　a few drops of green food coloring if desired

　　In a bowl combine well the buttermilk, the corn syrup, the lemon juice, the sugar, the zest, and the food coloring and freeze the mixture in an ice-cream freezer according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pack the sherbet into an airtight container and freeze it until it is firm. Serve scoops of the sherbet garnished with the strips of zest.