Cucumber Granita

Leave the peel on the cucumbers—it enhances the granita's lovely emerald hue. Allowing the pureed cucumber mixture to sit in a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl overnight infuses the granita with color and flavor. For extra zip, add a teaspoon of cracked black pepper when pureeing cucumbers. Serve as a palate-cleanser between courses or as a not-too-sweet dessert with biscotti.

Water tally: 3.3 ounces.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Ingredients

• 4  cucumbers (about 3 pounds)
• 1  tablespoon  honey
• Lemon wedges (optional)
• Cucumber slices (optional)

Preparation

1. Cut cucumbers into 3-inch chunks. Place half of cucumber chunks and honey in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Pour the pureed cucumber mixture through a large cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining cucumbers. Cover and chill cucumber mixture 8 hours or overnight.

2. Press chilled cucumber mixture lightly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to squeeze out juice; discard solids. Pour juice into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish. Cover and freeze at least 8 hours or until firm.

3. Remove mixture from freezer; scrape entire mixture with a fork until fluffy. Garnish with lemon wedges and cucumber slices, if desired.

Note: Freeze for up to 1 month.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

16 (0.0% from fat)

Fat:

0.0g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)

Protein:

1g

Carbohydrate:

3.5g

Fiber:

1g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

0.4mg

Sodium:

0.0mg

Calcium:

20mg