Why should kids have all the fun with their shaved ice concoctions?
One of my fondest childhood memories revolves around walking to a stand that fronted Balboa Bay in Newport Beach, Calif., and ordering an “ice cone.” It was available in any flavor one could imagine, as long as that flavor was either cherry or grape. The fact that I always ordered grape no doubt foreshadowed my eventual immersion into the wonderful world of wine.
Today, the number of flavors available is much higher — every fruit flavor you can think of, available in any combination you want, and even some weird flavors such as pickle. One of my family members likes to mix blackberry and black cherry, and add a splash of cream. Me? I still order grape.
But after seeing the recipe that follows, and hearing great things about it from one of my fellow Vinesse staffers, I just may be enjoying a new “thrill of the chill” this weekend. The recipe, which yields 8 servings, is adapted from one of my favorite magazines, Bon Appetit…
CANTALOUPE AND BLACK PEPPER GRANITA
Ingredients
- 1 large cantaloupe, rind and seeds removed, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup 2013 Laverna Farms Moscato (featured in today’s sampler from Vinesse)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus coarsely ground for serving
Preparation
- Purée cantaloupe, sugar, Moscato, and ¼ tsp. pepper in a blender until smooth.
- Transfer to a shallow baking dish and freeze mixture until edges begin to set (about 30 minutes).
- Using a fork, scrape mixture to break up frozen portions.
- Freeze, scraping and breaking up every 20–30 minutes, until mixture resembles fluffy shaved ice (about 2–4 hours).
- Serve granita topped with coarsely ground pepper.
You can check out Bon Appetit’s original recipe, as well as other tasty recipes, here.
As one member of our tasting panel so eloquently described it, this dish is “freakin’ awesome — especially on a hot day.”
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