By Dustin Garrett Rhodes

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for the end of winter. As I type this, it’s 45 degrees-which seems like summer in contrast to this winter’s bitter, unending cold. When it’s regularly in the 50’s-which is supposed to start today!-I seriously won’t know what to do with myself.

Except that I will know what to do with myself.

In my house, warm(er) weather means one thing and one thing only: sorbet. While some might consider sorbet the distant step-cousin of ice cream, this indicates one of two things: 1. you’ve never made it from scratch or 2. you’ve only eaten for what passes as sorbet at the grocery store (which is often high fructose corn syrup, flavoring and water-frozen).

That’s where The Best of Vegan Cooking comes in. When people ask me about the cookbook-wondering what the best recipes are-I admit it: I often talk about the risottos. They are amazing. And I have neglected eating risotto practically my entire vegan life-until The Best of Vegan Cooking, that is.

But really, the sorbets (and, yes, ice cream recipes!) are outstanding, addictive: tart, creamy, luscious, bursting with delicate fruit flavor. You simply have to make one. You might end up a seven-day-a-week summer sorbet lover like myself! (And if you are inclined to care about that sort of thing, sorbet is fat-free and lower calorie).

Don’t have an ice cream maker? Don’t know where to start? Cuisinart makes a $50 ice cream/sorbet maker that’s actually very good. Or you can get a fancy one. The point is, you’ll be using it a lot. Get something with which you can form a lasting relationship.

Here’s a mouth-watering sorbet recipe from The Best of Vegan Cooking. You can order the cookbook here or here.

Blueberry-Pomegranate Sorbet (see cookbook cover photo!):

Makes about 4 cups

1 ¼ cups sugar syrup (see below)

¼ unsweetened pomegranate juice

4 cups fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 ½ teaspoons each grated lemon and lime zest

Option: Garnish with mint leaves and pomegranate seeds

Preparation:

To make sugar syrup, combine 1 ¼ cups Florida Crystals sugar with 1 ¼ cups water in saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Set aside and cool to room temperature or refrigerate.

Puree the blueberries with the sugar syrup, lemon juice, zest and pomegranate juice in a blender until very smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer for a smooth texture.

Cover and refrigerate until cool; then churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.