Rhubarb Lime Sherbet

Recently I have been trying to increase the variety of produce in my diet.  I generally eat a good variety of food, but fruits and vegetables are pretty much the same - apples, bananas, green beans, lettuce, broccoli and a few others.  But since I discovered year-round farmers markets in New Orleans, I have been eager to try more seasonal fruits and vegetables.  Over the winter I tried several varieties of citrus and greens.  For the first time I cooked with collard greens, kale, turnips, beet, and fava beans.  When I walked into the grocery store the other day, I saw a bunch of rhubarb was staring back at me

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Spicy Chocolate Ice Cream

Believe it or not, until recently, I had never made a chocolate ice cream.  I think I was a little scared.  Adding chocolate to the ice cream base, an ingredient with its own sugar and fat, made me think it would be more difficult to achieve a balanced taste and texture.  Turns out it just took a little research.  The fat in the chocolate means adding less fat elsewhere; combining both cocoa powder and solid chocolate helps balance out the flavor.  Easy.

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Ponchatoula Strawberry Sherbet

Last weekend marked the official start of strawberry season in Louisiana with the state's seasonal event, the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival.  Crafts, rides, and food centered around the official town berry stretched as far as the eye could see. Festival attendees were seen with fresh strawberry drinks in hand, eating strawberry-laden desserts (such as strawberry beignets), and carrying flats of fresh strawberries to their cars.

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