The temperatures soared above 50 in the Boston area this week. It actually felt hot one day! As soon as it feels like summer my taste buds scream for; yup you guessed it: ice cream. Not just ice cream, but a frappe. Technically a milkshake and a frappe are the same thing, but if you are from Massachusetts you call a milkshake a frappe. I don’t know why, it’s a Mass thing. So, in honor of strawberries, rhubarb and summer weather; I made a roasted strawberry and rhubarb frappe. Yup, I took that extra step and roasted the strawberries and rhubarb. Wicked fancy, right? (Wicked is also a mass thing. “It is wicked humid today. That guy/girl is wicked hot. I need a Dunkin’ wicked bad, etc. You get it.)

I love berry season. The dessert possibilities are endless!

I sliced the strawberries and rhubarb and tossed them with a little sugar and seeds from one vanilla bean. I roasted them at 375 for about 30 minutes. Tossing the fruit with sugar helps to release some of its juices. Roasting the fruit brings out their natural sweetness and adds depth of flavor. Also, you can really taste the fresh vanilla bean in the fruit. So good!

 Once the fruit cooled, I blended it with about a pint of vanilla ice cream and a 1/4 cup of milk. I used 1% milk. I’ll treat myself next time and use whole milk.

I topped the frappes with whipped cream. I bought the whip cream, but homemade whip cream tastes so much better! The kids and Bubba did love squirting the whip cream in their mouths.

C and G shared a frappe and finished it in under 10 minutes. I got a thumbs up from them. Bubba said multiple times: “this is delicious.” I guess he liked it. I loved it. In fact, I want to drink one again, today. Give this frappe a.k.a. milkshake a try this summer. You’ll love it!

Roasted Strawberry and Rhubarb Frappe

recipe inspired and adapted from Not Without Salt

serves 4, 2 generously

Ingredients:

4 cups of strawberries, halved

4 cups of rhubarb, sliced into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeds removed

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1/4 cup of 1% milk or milk of choice. May need to use more or less milk depending on how thick you like it.

whipped cream – homemade or store bought optional

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Wash and slice fruit. Toss with sugar and vanilla bean seeds. Place on prepared baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes.

Remove fruit from oven and allow to cool completely on baking sheet. Once cool, place the fruit, vanilla ice cream and milk in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream. Serve immediately and enjoy!

*Roasted fruit can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days.*

5 Milkshake Link You Must Check Out!

Want to try a cake batter milk shake? Head over to Cooking Classy for Jaclyn’s 3 ingredient recipe. Her recipe will definitely satisfy your cake batter cravings. Check out her other recipes while you are there too!

I love happy hour. How about celebrating your happy hour today with this hot fudge milkshake by Joy the Baker. This looks so dam good!

I have a thing for banana flavor. I love banana ice cream, bread, cake- any banana dessert really. A Cozy Kitchen’s roasted banana pudding milkshake is on my list of must make milkshakes!

Looking for a healthy chocolate milkshake? Head to the awesome food blog, A Couple Cooks and check out their recipe. Their recipe is made with fresh medjool dates and coconut milk. Yum!

If you love coffee ice cream, head to Bake Your Day and check out Chung-Ah from Dam Delicious guest post for mocha java milkshakes. Looks delicious!

I have cabin fever. When I woke up this morning the temperature read 3; as in 3 degrees. C declared this morning she is sick of winter. Me too. G keeps asking “when is spring?” Soon buddy, soon. The baby has only left the house a handful of times in the past two weeks. Fresh air doesn’t exist in his world, not yet. Bubba is tired of putting on 20 layers before walking to the train in the morning. Even our snow loving dog seems ready for spring. I am ready to pack up our winter gear and pull out flip-flops and t-shirts.

My taste buds are craving fresh fruits and vegetables. I no longer want to eat hearty stews, chilis or soups. I want to eat salads, burgers on the grill and local, fresh fruit. While browsing through the latest Cooks Illustrated, I came across a recipe for tropical fruit salad. ( I say browsing because the lack of sleep with the baby’s night feedings are making it difficult for me to read anything.) My mouth started to water. The next day I went to Whole Foods and grabbed 2 mangos, 2 oranges and a cucumber and set out to make a fruit salad that would satisfy my cravings.

Mango is fairly easy to find in the winter. I love the sweet tropical flavor of a mango, but a fruit salad needs balance. I decided to add 2 oranges which gave the salad some tartness. Now all I needed was a little crunch.

I chose a cucumber. If you don’t like cucumber, give jicama try. I cut the cucumber in half, seeded and diced it. The last thing to make was a lime syrup infused with red pepper flakes, lime zest and a pinch of salt. As Cooks Illustrated promised, the lime syrup highlighted the fruits natural flavors while also adding a great sweet and spicy balance to the salad.

This salad completely satisfied my need for something fresh. If you need something to brighten your day and your palate give this fruit salad a try!

Mango, Orange and Cucumber Fruit Salad

recipe barely adapted from Cooks Illustrated March & April 2014

serves 4

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. grated lime zest

3 tbsp. lime juice ( from about 2 limes)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

pinch of kosher salt

1 cucumber, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise, seeded and diced 1/4 inch

2 oranges, peel and pith removed, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds

2 mangos, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch dice, about 4 cups

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, bring sugar, lime zest, juice, red pepper flakes and salt to a simmer over medium heat while stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for about 20 minutes.

Remove peel and pith from oranges and slice into 1/2 inch rounds and then cut into 1/2 pieces. Place in a medium bowl.  Peel and pit mangos. Cut into 1/2 dice and place in bowl with oranges. Peel, slice in half lengthwise and seed cucumber. Cut into 1/4 inch dice. Add to the orange, mango mixture. Pour cool syrup over the fruit and gently toss to combine. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes before serving. This salad tastes best the day it is made. Enjoy!

5 Fresh Recipes to Get You Through the Final Weeks of Winter

If you like oranges and fennel, try this salad recipe by White on Rice Couple. While you are there, check out their blog. I love their recipes and the photography is beautiful!

Start your morning with this fresh and healthy berry smoothie by Heather Christo.

Are you on a greek yogurt kick? Give Me Some Oven has a quick and easy recipe for a greek yogurt parfait.

If you love grapefruit and sorbet you should make this dessert by How Sweet Eats.

I’ll wait to make this recipe, by Two Peas and Their Pod, in the summer when tomatoes and peaches are local and abundant. For now, I’ll just stare at the picture and dream.