No recipe! No measuring! No cooked custard! No eggs! I whipped up a beautiful batch of dazzling pink rhubarb ice cream and here is how it played out. First, it was time to harvest the hearty rhubarb stalks taking over my vegetable patch, so I cut some down and hopefully more will grow. Gave them a wash, a chop and then placed them into a pot to simmer with some sugar and a splash of water. The rhubarb quickly boiled down to a thick, pastey mush which I then pureed and enhanced with natural vanilla extract and some freshly ground cinnamon. Added in some light cream and milk and a pinch of salt to round out the flavours. Tossed in some raspberries. Into the fridge for an overnight chill before churning. A spin in my Cuisinart ice cream maker quickly transformed a cold slurry into a thick, luscious, creamy gelato. Some freezer time firmed things up just right. Served it up in a vintage glass pedestal cup. Success!!

That's all there is to it, really. How much sugar? Up to you. Rhubarb is nasty without it, so don't be shocked when you taste your pre-churned mixture and find you need lots. Use equal amounts of milk and cream. If you feel comfortable with some more guidance, try these proportions:

Rhubarb Raspberry Ice Cream

4 stalks of rhubarb, about 1.25 pounds, cut into 1- inch pieces; 1 cup water; 3/4 cup sugar; 3 whole green cardamom pods, cracked; 1 cup milk; 1 cup table cream, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract; pinch of salt; 3/4 cup raspberries, frozen or fresh.

Place your rhubarb pieces, water, sugar and cardamom pods in a saucepan and cook until rhubarb breaks down and turns soft and mushy. Take off the heat and remove the cardamom pods and any seeds that may have escaped. Let cool and puree. In a mixing bowl combine the pureed rhubarb, milk, cream, cinnamon, vanilla and pinch of salt. Mix well and taste for sweetness. Add more sugar if the mixture seems too tart. Chill in the fridge overnight. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add the raspberries about half way through the churning process, when the ice cream is still soft. Makes about 2 litres.

Rhubarb may not be your go-to flavour for ice cream at the moment but once you get your hot little hands on this cool, rose-toned treat you will effortlessly succumb to its charms.

Keep cool with more chilled treats: