Tomato-Strawberry Granita
Tomato-Strawberry Granita
About This Recipe
Icy-cold granita is easy to make and a great way to use up all those summer tomatoes. Adding just enough strawberries and a little bit of maple syrup pushes it in the direction of dessert, but also could be a refreshing appetizer or intermezzo.
The Benefits
Looking for lycopene? Tomatoes are a brilliant source of this red pigment and antioxidant, also a protector against some cancers. Lycopene may help lower your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol; additionally, low levels of lycopene in the body might be linked to an increase in heart attack risk. Combining tomatoes with strawberries, the latter antioxidant-rich as well, just adds to the makings of a happy heart.
Note: You can play with the ratio of tomatoes to strawberries if you’d like more strawberry flavor, with 500 g total in mind.
Ingredients
6 Serves
- 15 oz (425 g) tomatoes
- about 1/4 pint (80 g) strawberries
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
Directions
-
Step 1
Trim the tomatoes and chop them if they’re large. Put them in the bowl of a food processor. Trim the strawberries and add them to the food processor along with the maple syrup, lemon juice, and salt. Pulse until pureed. Taste and adjust the maple syrup for desired sweetness. -
Step 2
Push the puree through a strainer, using a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon. You should have 2 cups (375 g) of puree. Pour the tomato-strawberry puree into a shallow freezer-safe container such as a baking dish (ideally, you want the puree to come up the sides of the container only an inch or 2). Cover and transfer it to the freezer. -
Step 3
Once the puree is frozen around the edges but still liquidy in the center, about 45 minutes, scrape the edges with a fork and stir the mixture. Return the granita to the freezer. Repeat this a few times, and as the granita freezes, scrape the icy puree with the tines of a fork so that the crystals are separate and the mixture is fluffy. Serve in small bowls.
Substitutions: Swap out the strawberries for other summer fruit — peaches, nectarines, plums, ripe figs
Try It With: Serve with fruit such as cubed mango, trimmed strawberries, or wedges of stone fruit
Zero Waste: Use tomato cores in vinegar or the stock pot
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About the author
Betty Hallock
Betty is a writer and editor: A journalist who formerly worked at the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and Los Angeles magazine, she also has co-authored four cookbooks. Her favorite meal for as long as she can remember has been ochazuke — rice with tea and pickled plum.
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