Tomato Granita Food

SHERRY TOMATO GRANITA

Steps:

• Blend together tomatoes, Sherry, sugar, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids.
• Pour tomato mixture into an 8- to 9-inch nonreactive baking dish and freeze until partially frozen, about 1 hour. Scrape and stir with a fork, crushing any lumps. Continue to freeze, scraping once or twice, until evenly frozen, about 2 hours more.
• Cut celery, cucumber, and radishes into fine julienne strips, then toss in a bowl with oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve granita with vegetable julienne.

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.

BLOODY MARY GRANITA

Steps:

• Whisk the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, hot sauce, parsley, 1 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon celery salt in a large bowl. Juice half of the lemon; add to the bowl along with the olive juice. Transfer 1 cup of the mixture to a bowl and stir in the vodka; cover and freeze until ready to serve (it will not solidify). Pour the remaining tomato juice mixture into a baking dish, cover and freeze at least 3 hours, stirring with a fork after 30 minutes to break up any ice crystals.
• When ready to serve, scrape the granita with a fork so that the texture is similar to crushed ice. Cut the remaining lemon half into 8 wedges. Thread 2 pieces celery, 2 olives and 2 lemon wedges onto 4 skewers, alternating the garnishes. Mix the paprika and remaining 1/2 teaspoon celery salt on a plate. Moisten the rim of 4 glasses with a damp paper towel and spin them in the seasoning to coat. Pour some of the vodka mixture into each glass and top with the granita; garnish with the skewers and serve with a straw and spoon.

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.

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.

TOMATO BLACK PEPPER GRANITA

Steps:

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