Cool treat

I have never been an appliance junkie. Although I own a Cuisinart, waffle iron, four-slice toaster, an electric teakettle and electric hand mixer, I never purchased a juicer or ice-cream maker. For years I assumed you needed an ice-cream maker to make granita, which is Italian for water ice. Now I know better.

I recently received a copy of Granita Magic by Nadia Roden ($15, Artisan, hardback, full-color whimsical drawings). Roden is the daughter of the award-winning food writer Claudia Roden. It is delightful that she is following in her mother’s famous footsteps.

"Mystery surrounds the origin of granita, which predates that of sorbet and ice cream by well over a thousand years," writes Roden. "It is known, however, that syrups were combined with snow for the gustatory pleasure of Chinese emperors 3,000 years ago. During the mid-first century A.D., the Roman emperor Nero regularly sent his servants up the Apennine Mountains to collect fresh glacier snow to mix with fruit pulps, flower petals, honey and wines for his banquets."

The book contains recipes for 55 ices, savory and sweet. Granita is more grainy than water ice or sorbet. Since there are myriad ingredients you can use to make this refreshing dessert or intermezzo, the color choices are endless.

You can serve granita in a pony glass, a martini glass or a small wine goblet. Garnishes run the gamut from fresh mint to a sprig of basil.

Although Granita Magic contains recipes for every season, the dog days of July and August prompt me to serve the treat, as it is a light and refreshing way to end a delicious summer meal.

Roden offers two ways to make granita — the classic way and the quick method. Since I am habitually in a rush, I opt for the quick method.

Here are recipes from Granita Magic: 55 Ices for Every Reason and Every Season — Always the Perfect Thing to Serve by Nadia Roden.

Classic Lemon Granita

Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 heaping cup sugar
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 6 large lemons

Directions:

Boil the water in a saucepan with the sugar and lemon zest. When the sugar dissolves, remove from the heat.

Mix in the lemon juice and allow the mixture to cool.

Pour the granita mixture into ice cube trays, cover with plastic wrap and allow to freeze solid.

Process the cubes in a food processor when you are ready to serve.

Serves four to six.

Note from Phyllis: Roden writes this is the classic granite from Sicily. You can garnish it with sprigs of fresh mint.

Chocolate Granita

Ingredients:
4 cups water
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup (2-1/2 ounces) natural unsweetened best-quality cocoa powder

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Turn on the lowest heat and when the mixture starts to bubble at the edges, thicken it over the heat, stirring for just one minute longer. Allow to cool.

Pour the granita mixture into ice cube trays, cover with plastic wrap and allow to freeze solid.

Process the cubes in a food processor when you are ready to serve.

Serves four to six.

Note from Phyllis: Roden writes this is a creamy granita from the Italian town of Catania. It is especially good with whipped cream. For the classic Vietnamese combination called mocha, make half the quantity of chocolate and stir in 2 cups of espresso coffee before freezing. Mocha is the name of the port in Yemen from which coffee was first exported.

Tomato and Basil Granita

Ingredients:
2 pounds ripe sweet tomatoes, peeled
1 tablespoon sugar
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 to 3 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Large handful of basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Quarter the tomatoes and puree in a food processor with the sugar and the garlic. Strain through a sieve to discard the seeds, then stir in the pepper, lemon juice, basil and salt to taste.

Let the mixture chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.

Pour the granita mixture into ice cube trays, cover with plastic wrap and allow to freeze solid.

Process the cubes in a food processor when you are ready to serve.

Serves four to six.

Note from Phyllis: Roden suggests you serve this Andalusian-inspired granita as an aperitif or a mid-meal palate cleanser. You can garnish it with chopped red peppers and cucumbers.

Blueberry Granita

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped ginger, optional
1 pound blueberries (about 3 heaping cups) or 2 pints of our glorious Hammonton, N.J., berries
5 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup water

Directions:

Put the sugar in a food processor. Add the ginger and puree to taste. Add the blueberries, lime juice and water and puree to a liquid.

Strain through a fine sieve, stirring and pressing with a spoon. Discard the solids.

Pour the granita mixture into ice cube trays, cover with plastic wrap and allow to freeze until solid.

Process the cubes in a food processor when you are ready to serve.

Serves four to six.

Note from Phyllis: We are in the midst of New Jersey blueberry season. I have found the berries in markets for as little as 99 cents a pint. The crop has been very good, so we will have blueberries through September.

Burgundy Wine Granita

Ingredients:
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1 large orange
2 cups Burgundy wine

Directions:

Place the water, sugar and zest in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sugar dissolves.

Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Stir in the orange juice and wine.

Pour the granita mixture into ice cube trays, cover with plastic wrap and allow to freeze solid. Process the cubes in a food processor when you are ready to serve.

Serves four to six.

Note from Phyllis: Roden says "this granita, which should be served straight from the freezer, is ideal for a hot evening on the lawn or a shady porch. Top with fresh mixed berries."

Personal note from Phyllis: Those of us who live in a hot city during the dog days of July and August don’t need a lawn or a porch to cool down with this delicious granita.