Watermelon Raspberry Granita and A Live Demo

Well, I have a very special announcement today!  But first, a few words on this Watermelon Raspberry Granita.  Fresh watermelon and raspberries are blended into a vibrant mix of pomegranate juice, mint, lime juice and sugar.  The finished granita is incredibly refreshing.  A must-have dessert for summer.

And now… on to the announcement!  On Thursday, May 12 at 6:30pm, I will be doing my first live Kitchen Konfidence demonstration at the west elm here in San Diego!  So excited!  The workshop, entitled “The Host with the Most”, will feature information on west elm’s latest dinnerware, kitchen accessories and entertaining pieces. I will be demonstrating several recipes throughout the evening that compliment the following pairings:

*  Sangria and Tapas
*  Beer and Snacks
*  Wine and Cheese

Here are the dishes I plan on making (subject to change):

*  Romesco Sauce with Grilled Asparagus and Crostini
*  Spiced Nuts with Sugared Bacon
*  Goat Cheese Ice Cream

If you live in the San Diego area, I hope that you can come to this event.  First, the food is going to be super tasty (like, the spiced nuts are over-the-top delish).  Second, the new west elm product is really amazing.  I actually want to buy the whole store.  You’ll find modern, detailed, unique kitchen items priced between $5 and $20.  Third, I would love to meet my fellow San Diego foodies in person!  So please stop by 🙂

Even though the store will be open to the public that evening, this free event does require an RSVP.  I am collecting RSVPs on Facebook here.  If you can’t RSVP on Facebook, please send me an email at brandon [at] kitchenkonfidence [dot] com.  I look forward to seeing you all there.  Continue reading for the recipe!

Watermelon Raspberry Granita
Adapted from Fiesta at Rick’s.

7 to 8 pounds seedless watermelon
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice (bottled is fine here)
1 cup fresh raspberries
Leaves from a few springs of mint
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
1 cup sugar, plus more to taste

Cut the watermelon in quarters.  Keep in mind that you will only need about 8 cups of watermelon chunks, so you may not need to use your entire watermelon.  Cut the flesh from the rind, then chop into 1 inch pieces.  While chopping, be wary of any rouge black seeds.  If you see one, pick it out and discard.  Measure 8 cups (about 3 pounds) of watermelon chunks and set aside.

Add half of your watermelon, pomegranate juice, raspberries and mint to a blender.  Blend until smooth, then transfer to a large bowl (preferably metal).  Repeat this process with remaining watermelon, pomegranate juice, raspberries and mint.

Add lime juice and sugar to the watermelon-raspberry mixture, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Taste the granita base to check the balance of sweet and tart.  If you find it is too tart, stir in more sugar.  If you find it is too sweet, stir in more lime juice.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and freeze mixture for 2 hours.  Take the bowl out of the freezer and scrape the icy bits from the edges to the center.

Repeat this scraping process every 30 minutes until the entire mixture is frozen and flaky.

Makes about 3 quarts.