Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Rosie Makes A Strawberry, Kiwi, And Basil Granita.

After a day of working in the yard
 picking up branches, limbs, debris,
 and random floatables from Hurricane Irene,
 it's nice to come inside and have a refreshing granita on hand.
I'm taking a much needed break from hurricane cleanup
 and preparing a strawberry, kiwi, and basil granita with a twist.
 The basil adds an unexpected savory note to this granita
 and the peppered balsamic vinegar,
lightly drizzled over top,
 offers a well-rounded tangy component.

Strawberry, Kiwi, And Basil Granita
1/2 cup water
1 /4 cup sugar
1 heaping cup hulled strawberries, sliced
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
small handful of fresh basil leaves
juice of 1 lemon
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar freshly
cracked black pepper
pinch of sea salt
 Make your simple syrup by combining water and sugar
in a small saucepan over medium high heat
. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and cook,
stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves.
 Remove from heat and let cool.
 In a processor, combine strawberries,
 kiwi, basil, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
 Process until thoroughly combined.
Pour into 8 x 8 inch baking pan and place in freezer.
 Every twenty or thirty minutes,
 fork the icy edges into the middle to incorporate.
 Spread the mixture evenly and place back in the freezer.
 Continue with this process every 30 minutes or so for about 2 hours.
 For the Balsamic Vinegar:
In a small bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar
 with a liberal amount of freshly cracked black pepper and a pinch of sea salt.
Stir to combine.
Give the granita a scant drizzle over top
and garnish with a small sprig of basil and kiwi and lime slices.
I love the pattern in a kiwi.
Combine the strawberries and kiwi.
Add the lemon juice.
Add in the basil leaves.
Add in the cooled simple syrup.
Process.
Pour into a glass baking dish.
 Do the 30 minute rakey thingie for about 2 hours.
And serve.
I always like to garnish.
I used kiwi slices, strawberry slices,
and a purple Thai basil flower top.

Apply but a slight drizzle of the balsamic vinegar mixture.

Take a hurricane clean up break. Sit back, relax, and enjoy. Your body will appreciate this.

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