Last week, I spotted a post on Waking Up Vegan for Beet Ice Cream. You may think that sounds crazy! I certainly had my doubts, but I was intrigued enough to try it. Since we aren’t vegans, I used a simple vanilla ice cream recipe made with milk and added beets to it. The result? Not only is the ice cream pretty, but it tastes pretty darn good. In fact, Jon said it’s one of the best I’ve made. Granted, I haven’t made that many, but still, a compliment from Jon is a compliment indeed. Beets are naturally sweet and earthy, so they lend a very unique flavor to the ice cream. It’s a little startling when it first hits your tongue, but it all just works.

Ingredients:

• 1 beet, roasted
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation:

To roast the beet, wrap in foil and heat in the oven at 325 degrees for one hour. Remove from oven, cut off the top and bottom and peel (a very easy task once they are roasted). Allow to cool completely. Puree beet in a blender, then add milk, sugar and vanilla, and mix well. Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.