Easy Cucumber-Lime Granita
This cucumber granita from Nicole Taylor's Juneteenth cookbook, Watermelon and Red Birds, is the most refreshing way possible to celebrate Juneteenth.
Serves6
I was inspired to make granita after watching my friend Benjamin “BJ” Dennis, chef and Gullah Geechee cultural bearer, serve this easy and refreshing after-dinner treat for his private clients. It was a fitting finale to the richly seasoned goodness of his cuisine. Granita, widely known as a Sicilian dessert, is a combination of fruit, sugar, and water, frozen until set. The key to smooth granita is running your fork through the mixture a few times while it’s in the freezer.
Nicole Taylor's Cucumber Granita Recipe
This cucumber granita from Nicole Taylor's Juneteenth cookbook, Watermelon and Red Birds, is the most refreshing way possible to celebrate Juneteenth.
Serves 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup
sugar
- 1/2 cup
water
- 2 teaspoons
lime zest, plus extra for garnish
- 2 tablespoons
fresh lime juice
- 4 cups
cubed cucumbers (about 2 large)
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 6 sprigs
dill
Instructions
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Immediately remove from the heat.
Transfer the sugar mixture to a high-speed blender or food processor and add the lime zest and juice, cucumber, and salt. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Pour the mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or baking sheet. Freeze in 45-minute increments, dragging a fork through to mix and break up large chunks after each time, until a frozen and fluffy ice mixture forms, 6 to 8 hours total.
To serve, divide the granita among six dishes and garnish each with a sprig of dill and a sprinkling of lime zest.
Recipe Notes
Excerpted from WATERMELON AND RED BIRDS by Nicole A. Taylor. Copyright © 2022 by Nicole A. Taylor. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.