Summer Fruit Granita

With Pinot Noir

The summer is waning. I can’t believe we’ve gotten here so fast! So many things I wanted to do and nearby places to visit; I only scratched the surface of my list. Oh well, perhaps better planning.

Some of my warm weather objectives were accomplished and relished. I have a few miles under my belt, on my bicycle, on area rail trails. The special kayak I ordered last year finally arrived and I got it into the Atlantic Ocean to ride the waves amongst the seals of Cape Cod.

I’ll be picking rose hips to make preserves next week, an annual event. And this makes me think about the local summer’s bounty, soon to become more scarce. Local berries will be harder to find, as will summer plums, peaches and stone fruit.

There are many recipes using the late summer fruit harvest; trying to choose one for this week wasn’t easy but one recipe stood out. A granita would be appropriate for the warm summer season as it begins to wind down. Made from a crunchy ice flavored with fruit and/or berries, it has a lighter texture than sorbet. Because it contains no dairy, it has less calories and is lactose free. It can be made with almost any fruit, sometimes nuts like pistachio ice.

Traveling in Italy many years ago, I was introduced too granita. It was served at breakfast with a piece of brioche with a dollop of whipped cream. Historically granita was made by flavoring snow that was collected from Mount Etna in Sicily. The snow was packed in ferns and stored in caves for use in the summer months. Thankfully we now don’t have to work so hard.

At home I find granita pairs well with a small scoop of ice cream creating kind of a creamsicle effect. Easy to make, refreshing and light, so good on a hot summer’s eve.

Local berries are still available and succulent plums as well; they are used for the base of my recipe. The Pinot Noir is part of the recipe for several reasons; for flavor complexity, for color and for the alcohol to keep the granita from freezing hard.

SUMMER FRUIT and PINOT NOIR GRANITA
Makes about 2 quarts

Ingredients:

• 1 quart berries (I used blackberries and raspberries but you can use blueberries or any mix)

• 2 large purple plums, stone removed and the flesh cut up

• 1/2 cup sugar (a little more or less depending on the sweetness of the fruit)

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 cup Pinot Noir (any red wine will do here, but I wanted one with a medium body)

• mint leaves and fresh berries for service

Method:

• place the berries in a saucepan along with the plums, sugar and water and bring it to a soft boil

• simmer for five to ten minutes until the fruit is cooked through and soft

• run the stewed fruit through a food mill to pull out the skins and seeds, or alternatively, blend it up in a food processor and press the ingredients through a fine sieve over a non-reactive bowl

• add in the wine at this point and pour the liquid into a shallow baking dish (I like glass) and place in the refrigerator to cool

• once cool, place the dish in the freezer for a few hours until softly frozen

• using a large fork, scrape the ice, peeling up the ice into a granulated mass and serve immediately or lightly pack into a container

• do not pack tightly, or it will be difficult to scoop if too solidly frozen

For service:

• scoop into serving dishes and garnish with some fresh mint leaves and some fresh berries

Delightfully refreshing after a summer meal on the porch. It contains a small amount of alcohol for those concerned. It may take a minute or two to get the hang of scraping the ice but it’s a quick study. If frozen overnight put the dish in the refrigerator for half an hour and it will make preparation easier.

Enjoy!