Not sure what it's like in your part of the world, but here in the Northeast, it's been cold, rainy and windy for the last few weeks with only a day or two of sunny warm weather sprinkled in here or there. Oh sure, there'll be no chance of a draught in the near future, but until then we're caught in this nebulous not-winter, not-spring cycle. I'm really getting tired of it and after another full weekend of rain, I have decided that I will no longer take this situation lying down. So what if I wore my winter jacket last night--I don't have to match the weather in the food department. Thus, this very summery and mouthwatering Strawberry Lime Ice Cream. What's a spring/summer lover to do?!!

If you've never made your own ice cream, gelato or frozen yogurt, I urge you to start doing so. Once you start whipping up your own frozen confections, there's just no turning back. I've been making my own for 5 years now and I can literally count on my fingers how many times I've gone out and bought store brand ice cream since then. There's just no comparison. When you control what goes in to each and every batch, the flavors are so clean and pure, so be sure to buy the best quality ingredients you can get your hands on. Even though it's not officially strawberry season yet, the berries from the market have been really good, so this is a perfect time to make this and then you can keep on making it (and others) all summer long!! And the best part about it, is that making your own ice cream is so easy. Especially this one, because you don't have to prepare a cooked egg custard. Literally, the base for this strawberry lime version comes together in only a matter of minutes. The hardest part is waiting for the mixture to chill so that you can churn it!!

Growing up I was never much of a strawberry ice cream fan but making making my own has made a convert of me. Refreshing and sweet, with a little zing from the lime juice and zest that are in here, a bowl of this is everything you want it to be. Rainy cold days, be gone!! I'm gonna cover myself with a warm blanket, curl up with a bowl of this and with every strawberry lime bite, see sunshine and beachy days ahead! Not a bad way to start of the week, huh?!!

Strawberry Lime Ice Cream

You will need an electric ice cream maker for this. I use the DeLonghi 6000 with a self refrigerating compressor. It's not cheap but it produces wonderful sorbet, gelato and ice cream and it's not as expensive as some brands. It's totally been worth it for me but if you're not that sure about your ice cream commitment, I know many people are happy with the Kitchen Aid ice cream attachment too and there are Cuisinart brands that you can buy for anywhere from $40-$70.

Makes 1 quart

Prep Time:  10-12 minutes + several hours chilling time and preferably overnight: Churning Time:  About 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup strawberries (about a pint-doesn't have to be exact), washed, hulled and cut in half or into quarters if very large
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 lime, first zest and then juice it so that you have about 1 tablespoon of zest and 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk (you can use 2%--it'll just be less creamy)

The Recipe

1.  Place the berries, sugar, lime juice, vanilla and and salt into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the cream, milk and lime zest and blend well. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and chill for at least 5-6 hours or better yet, overnight.

2.  Pour into the bowl of an electric ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from Sur La Table.