A Different Kind of Sorbet

If you like ice cream, get an ice cream maker. Get an electric one. The cranking kind are cumbersome and messy. Though I do have fond memories of cranking ice cream on the back porch in a wooden bucket filled with ice and salt.

 With my handy ice cream maker, I like to come up with new flavors. So this is my latest endeavor:

 Honeydew Melon and Basil Sorbet

In a blender, I combined about two cups of scooped honeydew melon pieces, juice of two lemons, about a handful of fresh basil, 1/4 cup of triple sec (though that is optional) and a pinch of salt. Whirred in the blender, it became a medium-thick liquid, which I poured into my handy ice cream maker.

When the sorbet was the right consistency, I scooped it into a bowl and added about 3/4 cup of watermelon, which I had diced into 1/4 inch cubes. Into the freezer it went to set - or ripen.

What you end up with is a pale green sorbet, run through with flecks of dark green basil, and accented by chunks of the beautiful watermelon. I should have taken a photo...  And look! I did!

 Now when my friend Janet and I tried it, it was surprisingly good! Not sweet, not savory - an androgynous mix of both, perhaps. I could see serving it as a palate cleanser between courses. Very summery, herbaceous, and refreshing.

So then I thought - I wonder how this would taste with some tequila!

In granita-fashion, I scraped some of the sorbet and put it into a glass, then topped it off with a good white tequila. Well, I'll tell you how it tastes: DELICIOUS! Holy Toledo - that is an outstanding drink. Serve with a spoon, so you can get the watermelon pieces, and a straw, so you can slurp up the slushy goodness.

I still need a name for this creation - ideas are welcome! And try it yourself, too.

If you don't have an ice cream maker (your loss), you can put your sorbet mixture into a flat casserole dish and pop it into the freezer. Every 30 minutes or so, stir it around with a whisk until it has frozen to the right consistency. When you're ready to eat it, let it sit out for a bit and then use a spoon to scrape the amount desired into your vessel of choice (a glass  to top off with tequila!).