You know those couples you meet where they both just seem to bring out the best in each other? That perhaps individually they may not have been able to achieve what they do together? Like Rodgers and Hammerstein perhaps or even Bonnie and Clyde! Well, I think you could place strawberry and rhubarb in that great couple’s classification, too, minus the bank robbing part! The tartness and tang of the rhubarb marry so well with the delicate sweetness of fresh strawberries!
Strawberries are especially perfect in June and fresh rhubarb is making an appearance right about now as well. Yes, Mother Nature has that one planned pretty well. So take advantage and freeze up this little number to add some refreshment to those hot summer days. No refined sugar here and the vitamin K and calcium in the rhubarb and the vitamin C and manganese in the strawberries should make you feel good about every bite that melts on your tongue.
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB GRANITA
This does not take a lot of effort, just use your timer to remind yourself to do some brief scraping. It is a good thing to make when you will be around for the day doing other things at home as you have to come back and scrape away (or have someone else do it for you) several times.
Gather
- 3 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups raw honey
- 1.5 cups rhubarb stalks, chopped.
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Now do this
- Place water, raw honey, rhubarb and strawberries in a pot.
- Simmer together until rhubarb and strawberries are tender – about 10 minutes.
- Strain fruit from the liquid and pour the strained liquid in 8 x 8 pyrex pan.
- Add lemon juice and stir around.
- Place pan in the freezer and put the timer on for 90 minutes.
- At 90 minutes, remove granita from the freezer and gently scrape the surface, with a fork, to break apart the formed ice crystals.
- Place dish back in the freezer and continue to remove from freezer and scrape every 60 minutes for the next five hours or until you have a baking dish of “shaved” ice.
- To serve, spoon a small amount the granita into small cups and top each with a sprig of mint.
- Serve immediately.
granita:photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/40878536@N08/5893349730/”>Mari Liis</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>cc</a>
rhubarb: photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/haikugirl/4698460852/”>Heather Quintal</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>cc</a>
Great to hear from you, Helen! You must try the combo in this or many other recipes out there. The rhubarb is tart so the strawberry tames it perfectly.
Indeed! Mother Nature is wise in many ways. The synergy of many can create great things! Thanks for the pin, Shelley!
I've never tried the strawberry-rhubarb comparison, but I can definitely imagine how well they 'marry' together. Fantastic to see a healthy recipe for granita with not a grain of sugar in sight. 🙂
What a cute comparison … that strawberries and rhubarb are like a perfectly paired couple (with no bank robbing – lol)! Mother Nature really is so smart in how she has brilliantly spaced produce that’s lovely together into the same season! Mmmmmm … and combining these two lovebirds into a deliciously refreshing granita is brilliant – pinning for sure!! 😀