STRAWBERRIES AND BUTTERMILK ICE AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR

It's definitely berry season!!!! I am not much of a fruit person, but fresh ripe berries are addictive for me.

This recipe, made notable by Napa pastry chef Deanie Fox, combines the berries with a granita. Making a granita is very simple but time consuming. From beginning to end this dessert takes a little more than 3 hours, but most of the time is spent waiting for the granita to freeze. Very much worth the wait, so plan ahead.

Ingredients:

3-1/2 Tbl sugar
1-1/2 Tbl fresh lemon juice
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 pint strawberries cleaned and quartered
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
sprigs of fresh tarragon for garnish

In a bowl, whisk 1-1/2 Tbl of sugar and 1/2 Tbl lemon juice until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the buttermilk and pour into a shallow baking dish. Freeze until firm, whisking every 30 minutes for about 3 hours.

In a bowl, toss strawberries with 2 Tbl sugar and 1 Tbl lemon juice. Add the lemon zest and vinegar. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Spoon the berries and any juices into glasses. Using a fork, scrape the buttermilk granita into fluffy crystals and spoon over the strawberries. Garnish with the tarragon.

Very refreshing in the hot summer weather!
ENJOY!