Chocolate-Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream

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I’ve had my ice cream machine sitting around in the basement since we got married. I’ve used it a couple of times, but most certainly not “on the regular”. After enjoying this ice cream last night, I’ve vowed to make homemade ice cream at least once a week – especially in these warmer months. With the new-fangeled machines they have now, it couldn’t be easier. I remember our vacations at Chincoteague (which, I’m now proud to call home), and the big wooden ice cream maker with the hand crank. It was just something about churning those common ingredients into a frosty delight, right before my very eyes, that was so magical. My four year old, Andrew, apparently feels the same.

So, the ice cream. The cherries are roasted with a little bit of sugar and bourbon, then soaked overnight in their own juices before churning into the ice cream the next day. The roasting process allows the cherries to remain soft even after freezing, not to mention intensifying their flavor. I was hesitant about the chocolate swirl, wanting to maintain simplicity for such a classic flavor – but, I couldn’t resist. Melting the chocolate, then pouring it into the machine during the last few moments of churning left beautiful, crackly ribbons all-throughout the ice cream. It really is pure heaven! Now that summer is officially here, I’m looking forward to giving my machine a workout. Stay tuned, more to come!

Chocolate Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream

30-40 fresh sweet cherries, whole and de-stemmed
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
1 cup milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean
6 large egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces semisweet (60%) dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 450° F. Place whole, de-stemmed cherries in an oven safe roasting pan or dish (I used a glass pie pan). Sprinkle with sugar and bourbon. Toss to coat. Roast at 450° for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally and keeping a close eye to make sure the sugar doesn’t burn. Once fruit is soft, remove from oven and cool. Pit the cherries and slice into quarters. Refrigerate in juices overnight.

In a medium saucepan, heat milk, sugar, 1 cup of cream and salt over medium heat. Split vanilla bean in half, scrape seeds into the warm milk mixture and add used bean too. When milk is warm, remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Pour the remaining 1 cup of cream into a large bowl. Set a fine mesh strainer on top and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks. Slowly add about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs. Pour the warmed egg mixture into the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan and whisk to combine. Return the saucepan to medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and pour through the mesh strainer into remaining cream. Add vanilla extract and stir over a bowl of ice water until cooled to room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

After ice cream mixture and cherries have cooled overnight, churn in your ice cream maker according to the instructions. While the ice cream is churning, heat chocolate in 15 second intervals at 50% power in the microwave, stirring between intervals, until melted smooth. With 5-7 minutes left to churn, start drizzling the chocolate very slowly into the ice cream mixture. Once all of the chocolate is incorporated, add cherries, juice and all. Transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Source: Adapted from The Perfect Scoop by Dave Lebovitz, via The Craving Chronicles

Perfect Roasted Chicken

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There are few things as comforting to the mind, body, and soul as a chicken roasting away in the oven. My boys have been feeling a bit under the weather the past few days. It was too hot for soup, so I made them our favorite Sunday dinner instead. After eating like birds for two days, I knew they’d be hungry – and, I was right. It was a large roaster, and after all our tummies were full there remained only a small amount of thigh and breast meat. Was happy to see my boys hungry again! Leave it to a stick-to-your-ribs home-cooked meal to bring back their appetite!

Roasting the chicken at a relatively high temperature of 425 helps to ensure that the bird develops a golden brown skin, yet the meat underneath remains perfectly cooked and juicy. I stuff the cavity with citrus, mostly lemons – but I’ve been known to use oranges in a pinch too, and some fresh herb sprigs from my garden. Those fresh flavors really permeate the meat of the chicken, and produces a bird that is unparalleled – at least in my opinion! I’ll usually roast one chicken a week in the summer – just to pull the meat off the bones and keep in the fridge. It’s great for creating so many different quick and easy meals throughout the week, and much more affordable than buying a rotisserie chicken from the store.

Perfect Roasted Chicken

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
1 large bunch fresh rosemary
1 large bunch fresh sage
1 lemon, halved
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the lemon and herbs. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the chicken in a roasting pan or cast iron skillet.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Temperature in thickest part of thigh should register 165. Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken, and place on a platter. Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Cantaloupe Margaritas

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Since these margaritas have entered my life, I’ve gone through a considerable amount more of tequila every week. My homegirl Shawnda had mentioned them to me in passing about a month ago, and I couldn’t wait to try them. Literally couldn’t wait either, I hounded her to give up the recipe early. Thankfully, she obliged and gave up the goods. Made a batch of them up that night, and voila! My new favorite summer drink.

I love a small sprinkling of salt on my chunks of cantaloupe anyways, and let me tell you – the salt rim is everything I’d hoped it would be. Even now, at 9 AM on a Monday, it’s making my mouth water. The color is just gorgeous too, a lovely sherbert colored orange. This recipe makes about 4 or 5 drinks, so it’s perfect for poolside or at a backyard BBQ…or, drinking all to yourself on a Friday night. These are so good, they had my homebrewing husband drinking them! And, he doesn’t do tequila. They’re that good, folks. I know it’s only Monday, but I’m already looking forward to next weekend and making up another batch of these perfect summer cocktails.

Cantaloupe Margaritas

For the homemade margarita mix:
4 oz lime juice
4 oz water
1/4 cup sugar

For the margarita:
1 lb cantaloupe wedges (1/2 a 3lb cantaloupe, seeds and skin removed)
4 oz orange liqueur
6 oz silver tequila
Salt, for rimming (optional)
Lime wedges, for serving (optional)

Add the lime juice to a pitcher.Over medium heat in a small sauce pan, heat sugar and water, stirring until clear. Remove from heat and add to the lime juice.

In a food processor or blender, process the cantaloupe for ~60 seconds until completely obliterated into a fine pulp (you might need to add a few pieces at a time if using a blender).

Pour pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a large measuring cup or small bowl and strain, lightly pressing the solids until you get 1 cup of liquid.

Add cantaloupe juice to the pitcher, along with tequila and orange liqueur.

Serve in salt-rimmed glasses, over crushed ice.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Herbed Veggie Dip

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I know it’s kind of lame to post a veggie platter, but I get so many rave reviews on the dip, I thought it was worth sharing. It’s creamy, cool, herby, and delicious. I always make this for pretty much every cookout we have, and because of it’s portability, it’s great to take to a friend’s house for a potluck as well.

I’m sure lots of you folks are planning to do a little get-together in the backyard for Dad, so trash that overpriced store-bough plastic tray nonsense, and make a gorgeous platter yourself. My standard veggies to use are baby carrots, sliced cucumber, broccoli florets (blanch them for a minute), celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, and radishes. If you happen to have any leftovers, it makes for an awesome chopped salad!

I hope everyone has a lovely Father’s Day weekend with plenty of quality family time. We’re hoping to get some boat and beach time in. Haven’t made it out to the sandbar (a little strip of land off the coast only accessible by boat. Mostly locals, and a lot less crowded than Assateague Island beach) yet, had had some boat issues, which were taken care of this week. So, we’re hoping to get out there on Sunday and relax. I feel very blessed to have both a great dad, and a great husband in my life. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Herbed Veggie Dip

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup chopped scallions (about 3), roughly chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Place the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

Pulse 10 to 12 times, until just blended, but not pureed. Serve at room temperature.

Source: Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten