Many folks seem to think making a granita is like gobs of work. Believe me, it is not. As I was saying to Aaron a week ago about the ginger tart I made for my folks anniversary dinner, you’ve just gotta love dishes that make an impact and are dirt simple to make. Granita is one such dish.

Coronation grapes only appear for a scant couple weeks each year (in Ontario, that’s about now). The harvest is pitifully low – 2,200 tons. The grape was actually invented by the Summerland Research Station in B.C. and launched in Niagara in 2000. They are a robust, deep purple and have a sweet greenish-coloured fruit surrounded by a very tart skin.

2) pick grapes off and toss into a large stock pot; 3) the remains

4 & 5) using a potato masher, mash the grapes to start releasing the juice

6) bring the mash to a boil and continue to mash the grapes, then; 7) strain through a fine-mesh sieve

8) the result is wonderful purple nectar

From here, all you need to do is put the juice into a thin dish and place this dish into your freezer. Go away and have yourself a glass of wine then return about every 30 minutes or so, and, using a wooden spoon, mash the juicy bits so they never really have a chance to solidify. That’s it, granita is made. You can do the same with any juice – orange, grapefruit, or with rose water or tea (sweetened a bit). Enjoy!

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