Green Grape Granita Food

SPARKLING GRAPEFRUIT GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar with 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a 9 x 13 x 2-inch rectangular (non-metal) baking dish. Stir in the grapefruit juice, Champagne, and fleur de sel.
• Carefully place the dish on a level surface in the freezer. Freeze for one hour, rake the granita with a large dinner fork, and return it to the freezer. Continue to rake the granita every 30 minutes, until it's firm and granular. This might take as long as 3 hours. Serve frozen in pretty bowls or stemmed glasses.

GRAPE-BLACK CURRANT GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the currant juice and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Transfer to an 8-inch-square stainless-steel or glass baking dish and let cool completely; stir in the grape juice.
• Freeze until ice crystals begin forming around the edges, about 45 minutes. Use a fork to scrape the crystals toward the center of the pan, then continue freezing, scraping every 30 minutes, until frozen, about 4 hours.

RED AND GREEN GRAPE GRANITAS WITH MUSCAT AND FROZEN SUGARED GRAPES

Steps:

• Combine 2/3 cup water and 2/3 cup sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil 1 minute. Cool syrup. Stir in lemon juice.
• Puree green grapes and half of lemon syrup in blender (some bits of grape peel will remain). Transfer to 13x9x2-inch metal pan. Puree red grapes and remaining lemon syrup in blender. Transfer to another 13x9x2-inch metal pan. Freeze 1 hour. Stir with fork every hour until frozen, about 4 hours.
• Meanwhile, dip grape clusters into 2 tablespoons Muscat wine to moisten, then dip grapes into sugar to coat. Place grapes on small tray and freeze until frozen, about 4 hours. (Granitas and grapes can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and keep frozen.)
• Using fork, scrape granitas down length of pan, forming icy flakes. Pour 2 tablespoons Muscat wine into each of 6 wide glasses. Divide green grape granita equally among glasses. Spoon red grape granita alongside green grape granita in each glass. Garnish each with sugared grape cluster and serve.

GREEN GRAPE GRANITA

Steps:

• Blend grapes, juices and mint until smooth.
• Freeze mixture in shallow baking pan until it's almost solid - 1 to 2 hours depending on your freezer.
• Remove from freezer, break up pieces and blend in blender again.
• Serve with lime wedge.

GRAPEFRUIT GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine juice, water and sugar in bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Pour liquid into a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Freeze until hard, about 3 to 4 hours.
• To serve, scrape with a fork and spoon the scrapings into small chilled martini glasses or small glass bowls. Garnish with small sprigs of fresh mint.

GREEN TEA AND GINGER GRANITA

Steps:

• Bring a tea kettle, with 3 cups of water, to a boil over medium heat.
• In a heatproof bowl add the sugar, ginger and tea bags. Pour in 3 cups of boiling water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and let the tea bags steep until the liquid is cool. Strain and pour into an 8 by 8-inch metal cake pan and put it into the freezer. Check it after 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on your freezer). Stir with a fork breaking up any ice crystals that have formed. Put the pan back into the freezer and continue checking and forking every 45 minutes to 1 hour until you have a container of ice shards.
• To make orange cups, slice the oranges in half and carefully remove the flesh with a spoon, making sure to keep the rinds intact. In a small bowl, muddle the orange flesh to get out the juice, then strain and reserve it for the "Rising Sun" cocktail recipe. Slice a bit of the bottom of each orange half so that it can stand upright. Put the orange rinds into the freezer.
• Once the granita is completely frozen, divide it evenly among the 4 orange halves and serve immediately.

GREEN APPLE-MINT GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and 2 cups water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes; transfer to a blender and let cool completely.
• Add the mint to the blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8-inch-square stainless-steel or glass baking dish. Finely grate the skin of the apple into the pan (you won't need the rest of the apple), then stir in the lime juice.
• Freeze until ice crystals begin forming around the edges, about 45 minutes. Use a fork to scrape the crystals toward the center of the pan, then continue freezing, scraping every 30 minutes, until frozen, about 4 hours.
• Avoid aluminum pans-they can react with the acidic ingredients and produce a metallic taste. Use stainless steel or glass instead.

BLUEBERRY GRANITA

Steps:

• Blend the blueberries and sugar in a food processor until smooth; strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing with a wooden spoon to separate the blueberry puree from any chunks of skin or seeds.
• Stir the strained blueberry puree, water, and lemon juice together in a shallow glass baking dish or tray. Place the dish in the freezer; scrape and stir the blueberry mixture with a fork once an hour until evenly frozen and icy, about 4 hours. Scrape to fluff and lighten the ice crystals; spoon into chilled glasses to serve.

RED GRAPE GRANITA

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the wine, the sugar, and 1 cup water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer the syrup for 5 minutes and let it cool. In a blender or food processor purée the grapes with the syrup and strain the purée through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids. Stir in 1 cup cold water and the lemon juice and chill the mixture, covered, until it is cold. Stir the mixture, transfer it to 2 metal ice cube trays without dividers or a shallow metal bowl, and freeze it, stirring with a fork every 20 to 30 minutes and crushing the large frozen clumps, for 2 to 3 hours, or until it is firm but not frozen solid. Scrape the granita with a fork to lighten the texture and serve it in chilled bowls.

GREEN TEA GRANITA

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring the water and honey to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring until the honey dissolves completely. Let cool.
• Stir in the green tea, and lemon juice, then pour into a very cold 13x9-inch pan and carefully set in the freezer.
• Stir with a fork every 45-60 minutes, breaking up the any ice cyrstals that may have formed, until the mixture is firm.
• Scrape with a fork and serve in glasses, garnished with a slice of lemon.

POMEGRANATE GRANITA

Steps:

• Slice off the top and bottom of the pomegranates, then break them apart and remove the seeds. With your hands, squeeze all of the juice out of the seeds, then push the mixture through a sieve, pressing down gently to extract as much juice as possible without pushing the bitter skins through.
• Discard the seeds. In a large shallow glass baking dish that will fit in your freezer, combine the juice with the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved (place the pan over a very low flame if desired to speed the dissolving of the sugar). Freeze for 4 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
• Scrape the surface of the ice with a spoon into large flaky crystals.
• Refreeze if desired. The granita should be served as a chunky ice, not a smooth sorbet.

BLACK GRAPE GRANITA

Steps:

• Blend the black grapes and bananas to a fine purée in a food processor. Add the sugar, lemon juice, cumin powder, black salt and ¼ cup of water and mix well.
• Freeze in a shallow container till set.
• Transfer to a blender and liquidise till it is slushy.
• Serve scoops of the mixture in 4 individual bowls or long stemmed glasses.
• Serve immediately.