Tomato Basil Granita Recipes

LEMON-BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar with 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Warm the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from the heat, and cool to room temperature.
• Add the basil to the sugar syrup and muddle the leaves with the base of a wooden spoon. Let steep for 1 hour. Strain the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish (discard the basil). Stir in the lemon juice and vodka, if using. Freeze until the mixture begins to set, about 2 hours. Scrape with a fork to form small crystals in the ice every 30 minutes to an hour until the mixture is fully frozen, about 1 hour more.
• Serve the granita in chilled glasses, garnished with the small basil leaves.

MELON WITH BASIL-LIME GRANITA

Steps:

• Bring water and 2/3 cup sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then simmer 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely in an ice bath, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Purée syrup with basil and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon lime juice until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a 3-quart shallow nonreactive container, pressing on and then discarding solids.
• Freeze basil-lime syrup, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every 30 minutes, until evenly frozen, about 2 hours.
• One hour before serving, cut melons into small wedges and peel. Combine in a large bowl. Whisk together remaining 2 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon sugar and pour over fruit. Let macerate, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• Scrape granita with a fork, crushing any lumps. Serve melon in shallow bowls, drizzled with melon liquid and topped with granita and mint.

TOMATO & BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Chop the tomatoes and place in a bowl with all the other ingredients except the basil leaves. If you have time, leave them to macerate at room temperature overnight. Blitz in a blender - in batches, then strain through a fine sieve. Shred the basil leaves and stir through.
• Clear a shelf in the freezer and place a sided metal tray in to chill. Make up your mix and leave to cool, then pour into the tray and cover with cling film. Freeze the liquid until frozen around the edges and slushy in the middle. Use a fork to break up the ice into smaller crystals. Return the tray to the freezer. Repeat the breaking up process every half hour (at least three times) until it's completely frozen and the texture of snow. For a quicker method: freeze the mixture in an ice tray, then blitz the cubes in a food processor just before serving. The texture will be slightly slushier, but just as delicious.

TOMATO GRANITA

Steps:

• Simmer the water and dissolve the sugar to form a simple syrup. Pour over the tomatoes and let cool.
• Using a blender, puree the tomatoes, syrup and remaining ingredients until perfectly smooth. Taste for seasoning. Remember: The flavors will be slightly muted when this is chilled.
• Place in your icecream maker and follow manufacturers instructions OR.
• Pour into a non-reactive, freezer-safe dish and place in the freezer. Stir this mixture every hour until firm. The texture will depend on the tomatoes. Higher sugar content produces softer granita and less produces harder-icier granita.
• Pull out of the freezer a few minutes before serving, to soften. Shave the granita ice with a fork or icecream scoop.

TOMATO BLACK-PEPPER GRANITA

Steps:

• Quarter tomatoes and in a food processor purée with sugar until smooth. Pour purée through a sieve, pressing hard on solids, into a shallow metal baking pan. Stir in pepper and vinegar until combined well. Freeze mixture, covered, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork about every 30 minutes, until no longer slushy but not frozen solid, 2 to 3 hours. Granita may be made 2 days ahead and frozen, covered.
• Just before serving, scrape granita with a fork to lighten texture and break up ice crystals.

ORANGE-BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in basil. Let syrup stand 15 minutes.
• Stir together orange juice, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour basil syrup through a fine sieve into the orange juice mixture; discard basil.
• Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch shallow nonreactive dish. Chill in freezer until edges are frozen, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from freezer; scrape with fork tines, pulling from edges into center. Return to freezer. Repeat process every 30 minutes until mixture is the texture of shaved ice, about 4 1/2 hours. Spoon into serving bowls, and garnish with basil.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD WITH TOMATO GRANITA

Steps:

• To prepare granita, place vinegar, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and seeded peeled tomato in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Place tomato mixture in an 8-inch square baking dish; cover and freeze until firm, stirring twice during first 2 hours. Remove mixture from freezer; scrape entire mixture with a fork until fluffy.
• To prepare salad, arrange tomato slices on a platter. Sprinkle with pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top with granita. Sprinkle with basil.
• Serving size = 3 tomato slices and 2 tablespoons granita.