I capitalised everything.  This recipe deserves each and every capitalisation.
I've realised over the last few months that this blog is really about what we eat in our house.  What I make.  I show you the duds, the failed cakes, the weird looking bread.  I show you all my desperation food and my comfort food.  This ice cream is kinda my 'fill-in-the-gaps-and-stop-feeling-sorry-for-yourself' food.
You see I haven't gotten strawberry picking yet.  My intentions were... good.  In fact, they were great.  I had a day all set up with my friend C.  I would drive up to her place (about an hour and a half away) we would go picking together, we would lunch, I would help with some weeding (which is no small task) and then I would toddle off home strawberry baskets in hand feeling spent but refreshed all at the same time.  Then the day before D told me he needed the car for a gig the next day.  Then there were rehearsals and graduations at school.  Then Kid #1 had graduation.  Then... Then... I wrote to my friend C and in my frustration told her that I felt like a loser.  She was so gracious.   I still haven't gone strawberry picking.


So yesterday, I was rummaging through what's left in my freezer because I'm ready to start filling it again... fresh peas and beans are on their way.  I found a batch of roasted strawberries from last year.  Not just any plain old roasted strawberries but roasted in rum, balsamic vinegar and sugar.  Oh yeah.  I remember making it last year and thinking of all the awesome possibilities... and then I forgot about it.  Poor, forlorn bag of roasted strawberries just waiting there for poor, forlorn, strawberry-less me to find them.  It was love at first sight.
I've adapted my favourite chocolate ice cream recipe here by upping some things and lowering others but the method remains the same.  Custard.  Cool the custard.  Pour into ice cream maker.  Add in fruit mix.  Freeze.  Eat.  I had a little for breakfast today.


On a completely different note:  I've been to a lot of graduations and recitals and awards ceremonies lately.  I must confess that I wish Kid #1 was getting all the awards.  We had a conversation about it.  It went something like this:
Me:  Over the summer the only things that you need to work on are piano, theory and math.  I have a math book for you to start.
Kid #1:  Why Math?
Me:  Because we want you to feel more confident with math.  I don't want it to be one of those subjects that you end up telling yourself you can't do.  Besides, next year being grade 7 you could get on the Honour Roll
Kid #1:  Why is the Honour Roll so important? (getting a little petulant and smart ass now)
Me: It's just a way of recognizing the students who have made a significant achievement with their grades.
Kid #1:  Well, if I get 79% does that mean I'm dumb?  That makes no sense...
And on and on.  I start getting pissed and we stop talking about it.  The thing is though that the more I thought about it the more I wondered the same thing.  Why is the Honour Roll so important?  Is it a guarantee?  Does it mean we'll accomplish something later in life?  Why do we feel this need to award and reward even the insignificant.  I'm still rolling this around...
(I know it's Canada Day so I've done my best by giving you a 'red and white' dish... patriotic Me)


Roasted Strawberry Ripple Ice Cream adapted from 'SuperNatural Everyday' and Epicurious.com

Roast:
2 cups (or so) strawberries, washed, hulled and halved
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt
2 tbsp rum
2 tbsp cane sugar (or sugar)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups whipping cream (heavy cream)
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 vanilla beans, opened and seeds scraped out
1 tsp vanilla

Roast:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Get a 9x13 baking dish ready.
Combine all the ingredients and mix until the strawberries are completely coated.  Pour into the baking dish.
Roast for about 40 minutes which should be long enough for the juice to thicken but not burn.
Remove from oven and place in a bowl to cool.
Cool completely.

Ice Cream

In a heavy bottomed saucepan heat the sugar just a little over medium heat.
Add in the milk and cream.  Stir and let it heat through.  Add in the vanilla beans (throw the whole bean in) and the scraped out seeds.
Once the mixture is almost at a simmer but not quite then turn the heat down to medium/low.  Ladle some of the cream mixture into the egg yolks, stirring constantly.  Add about a cup of the heated cream into the egg yolk.  Then pour the egg yolk mixture back into the sauce pan.  Add in the vanilla extract.  Heat the mixture through and test its readiness by dipping in a wooden spoon.  If you can run your finger through the back of the spoon and the sides don't run together then it's ready.
Run the mixture through a sieve into a bowl.  Cover with cling film, placing the cling film right on top of the custard.
Cool completely and refrigerate for a few hours or even overnight.
Place in an ice cream maker at churn until the custard is ice creamy - right at the end of the churning add in the roasted strawberry mixture.  Don't churn for long.
Remove to a freezable container.
Freeze for a few hours just to harden the ice cream.  You will want to soften it a bit before serving though.
EAT.