Tomato Granita with Serrano Peppers

Serves 8

Serve this luscious tomato ice as an appetizer or between courses to freshen the palate.

• 3 pounds ripe red or golden tomatoes
• 1—2 serrano peppers
• 4 tablespoons finely minced fresh cilantro
• juice of 1 lime
• pinch of kosher salt
• pinch of sugar
• cilantro sprigs for garnish

Peel the tomatoes, remove the cores, cut in half, and squeeze out the seeds and excess juice. Press the tomatoes through a food mill into a large bowl. Remove the stem and seeds of the serrano peppers and mince them very finely. Add to the tomatoes along with the cilantro and lime juice. Stir and taste the mixture. Add a bit of salt or a bit of sugar to adjust the flavor if necessary. If the tomatoes are bland, add the salt. If they are too acidic, add a bit of sugar. Pour the liquid into two metal ice cube trays or into a 9- x 13-inch baking dish and place in the freezer for at least 5 hours, until the mixture is frozen solid. An hour before serving, remove from the freezer, break into chunks, place in a food processor and pulse quickly until the mixture is slushy. Place in individual serving dish and return to the freezer for up to 1 hour before serving. Garnish with a small sprig of fresh cilantro.

Variation:
Freeze the ice in a commercial ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Copyright 1996 by Michele Anna Jordan, author of The Good Cook's Book of Tomatoes. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.

The Good Cook's Online Guide to Tomatoes

• The Perfect Tomato
• What is a Tomato?
• Preserving the Harvest
• Commercial Tomatoes
• Commercial Tomato Products
• Tomatoes and Health
• Tomatoes in the Kitchen
• How to Peel a Tomato
• To Fix a Thin Sauce
• The Well Stocked Pantry
• About Michele Anna Jordan

Tomato Recipes

• Tomato Granita with Serrano Peppers
• Tomato Bruschetta with Six Variations
• Tomato Toast
• Tomato Pie
• Gazpacho
• Tomato-Cilantro Soup
• Pasta with Uncooked Summer Tomato Sauce
• Baked Cherry Tomatoes
• Fried Green Tomatoes with Cream, Bacon, & Cilantro
• Sliced Tomato Salad with Ten Variations
• Quick Tomato Recipes

Check out Michele Anna Jordan's latest book: The World Is a Kitchen: Cooking Your Way Through Culture

This Archived Page created between 1994 and 2001. Modified August 2007