Blueberry-Lemon Granita

  Granitas make a wonderful light dessert,especially refreshing during these warm summer evenings, and are easy to make. What could be better? With an abundance of fresh blueberries right now, you can't go wrong with this one!

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup whole, fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

  Mix water and sugar in a small pot or skillet and set over medium heat on stove top. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Let boil 1 minute to ensure the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is completely clear. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

  While liquid is cooling, add blueberries and lemon juice to a blender and blend together. Set a fine sieve over a bowl and pour the puree into the sieve. Stir and press down on the puree with the back of a spoon to force the liquid into the bowl. You should have about 1/2 cup of liquid.

  Mix the blueberry liquid into the cooled sugar-water. Pour the final mixture into a wide, shallow glass or other nonreactive bowl. Place bowl in the freezer. Check the bowl after 30 minutes. Once it starts to turn slushy, you want to scrape it all around with the tines of a fork. Repeat this process every 20-25 minutes until the mixture has a completely frozen, loose, grainy texture. This should make four small servings.

  Other options for granitas would be to use fresh strawberries or blackberries in place of the blueberries. You can also use a 1/2 cup of straight fruit juice in place of the berry/lemon juice mixture. Black Cherry juice and Pineapple juice both work well. I'm even thinking of trying it with Coconut milk and seeing how that works. I'll let you know!