Blueberry Lemonade Granita

Grate 1 teaspoon of lemon peel and squeeze 1/4 cup lemon juice.

In a saucepan heat sugar, lemon peel and 1 1/2 cups water until boiling over high heat, stirring consistently to dissolve sugar. Remove the saucepan from the heat; stir in blueberries. Cool the blueberry sugar syrup to room temperature.

In a food processor with knife blade attached, blend the blueberry syrup mixture until pureed. Press puree through a sieve into bowl if there seem to be large pieces. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining 1 1/2 cups water. Pour evenly into a 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan.

Cover and freeze mixture for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until frozen around the edges. With a fork, scrape the ice, mixing it from the edge into the center. Repeat the process about every 30 minutes or until the mixture turns into ice shards, approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Serve the granita right away, spooning shards into chilled dessert dishes or wine goblets.

You can also cover and freeze for up to 1 month.

To serve, let stand about 5 minutes at room temperature to soften slightly … unless it is 115ºF outside.