Recipe of the Week

Our family went to a local strawberry patch a few weeks ago to pick our own strawberries, and well, let's just say we got a little carried away. I was searching for as many recipes as I could find using fresh strawberries and came across this one in All You Magazine. It's really refreshing on a hot summer day and it's a healthy treat for your little ones.

Strawberry Granita

16 oz. ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
3/4 c. sugar

Pinch of salt

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

Place an 8x8 square baking pan in the freezer. Puree strawberries with sugar and salt in a blender. Add 1 1/2 cups water and lemon juice and pulse to combine. Pour through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl to strain seeds and squeeze solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Pour mixture into cold baking pan.

Cover tightly with foil and freeze 1 hour, or until ice crystals form around edges. Stir mixture well to incorporate ice and break up any chunks. Continue to freeze, scraping ice at edges into center and breaking up pieces with a fork every 30 minutes , for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until granita is granular but still slightly slushy.

Use a fork to scrape across granita surface, transferring ice shards to glasses or bowls , and serve immediately, garnished with whipped cream, if desired.