You know those cheesy scenes in old movies where someone is walking through the sweltering desert and they're so thirsty that they hallucinate about an oasis? That's sort of how this recipe came to be.
Except, replace burning hot desert sands with 98% humidity, and you have my reality every day when I walk out the door -- the classic Florida summer.
I don't know how many times I can talk about how sweaty-hot it is outside, but I'm gonna bring it up just one more time because all that perspiration finally led to some inspiration.
Walking through Publix on a sizzling summer day is equivalent to splashing around in that desert oasis; an air conditioned wonderland of never ending thirst-quenching snacks at your disposal. Since I always go straight to the produce aisle, I am often easily enticed by the first few things in my line of vision that look like they might give any kind of relief from the blazing temps -- namely honeydew and Dandy® celery. When it's hot and sticky out, it's hard not to daydream about things that are cool, crisp and refreshing. So it's no wonder that celery snuck its way into my frozen summer treat in this Honeydew-Celery Granita.
I know what you're thinking. Celery?? Not chopped in a salad or slathered in peanut butter?? What in the world? But I guarantee that you'll stop questioning my sanity once you make this. Because, just like raw celery gives that nice, fresh crunch and snap when you eat it as a snack, the essence of celery works harmoniously with the flavor of sweet honeydew melon in this icy refreshment.
Truth be told, I hadn't given much thought to using celery in any way other than in soup or alongside wings until I served as a brand ambassador with Dandy® during the Food Wine Conference last month. But their creativity in using celery in desserts and cocktails at the conference gave way to all kinds of new ideas, which is nice because I can never quite use up an entire bag!
They say necessity is the mother of invention, but I'm here to tell you that so is humidity. This summer, you're bound to be cool as a cucumb... er... celery stalk when you get creative with Dandy®!
You may not have to imagine a tropical paradise if you enter and win the Summer Snacking Sweepstakes where the prize is a chance to "Build Your Own Dream Vacation!" Make sure to check it out and score a free e-book with summer-inspired recipes while you're there!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in partnership with Dandy® Celery. As always, all opinions here are my own!
Honeydew-Celery Granita
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
4 pieces of celery, trimmed and roughly chopped
1/2 of a medium honeydew {I used an orange-fleshed honeydew, but any honeydew or cantaloupe would work here}, roughly chopped
1. Make simple syrup: Stir together water and sugar in a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and allow to bubble until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Add chopped celery to the hot simple syrup. Set aside to let the flavors steep, about 10 minutes.
3. Place syrup mixture in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Using a mesh strainer, strain the mixture, pressing on the celery pulp to extract all liquid. Discard the pulp, and set the celery-infused syrup aside.
4. Place chopped honeydew in blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add about 1/4 cup of the celery simple syrup and blend together. Depending on how sweet your honeydew is, you may want to add more or less of the syrup -- sweeten to taste.
5. Pour the honeydew mixture into a glass baking dish or container and place in freezer. After 30 minutes, stir with a fork to break up any ice crystals. Continue to do this every 30 minutes for the next 3-4 hours or until the desired consistency is reached.
Note: Celery stalks make great scoopers!
