When I was 21, I went to Italy for the first time with my friend, Connie. At one point during the trip, we walked into a gelato shop near the Piazza Navona in Rome. The man behind the counter—seeing two young American tourists high on Italian charm and architecture—asked us if we wanted the Around The World. We said we did. And he commenced packing 21 gelato flavors on top of a single cone.

I was in love … with water, sugar and pure flavors.

A few years later, I fell in love again—with Steve … and the lemon sorbet I had on our first trip to Italy as a couple. I had daydreams about having a latte and lemon sorbet every day.

The latte daydream became a reality when the Blue Eyed Daisy opened across the street from our house a few years ago. I walk over every day and have one. Okay, actually two. I even take my own cup. And when Selborne Sweets opened just a few feet from my house recently, part two of the daydream became a reality.

In addition to homemade fudge, chocolate dipped strawberries and ridiculously addictive caramel corn, Selborne Sweets carries High Road craft ice creams and sorbets made locally. They have a limoncello flavor that takes me right back to Italy.

I may have to start showing up with my own cup.

Come have a cone or cup of the world’s most perfect summertime refreshment soon. And if you have daydreams like mine, here’s a recipe for lemon granita to fill in the gaps between trips to Selborne Sweets—it’s a quick, easy fix and doesn’t require a machine. I used a version of it years ago in my dinner series class at FSU and love the crystals in it. Serve it in frozen lemons for the intermezzo course.

 

Lemon Granita

Courtesy of Gourmet magazine

Makes about 2 ½ cups

2-3 large lemons

1 cup filtered or bottled still water (not distilled)

1/3 cup superfine granulated sugar

With a vegetable peeler, remove zest in long pieces from 2 lemons. Squeeze ½ cup juice from lemons.

In a small, heavy saucepan, heat water and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in zest and transfer syrup to a bowl to cool. Chill syrup, covered, until cold. Discard zest and stir in lemon juice.

Freeze lemon mixture in a metal bowl, stirring every 30 minutes to remove ice crystals from side of bowl, until liquid has become granular but is still slightly slushy, about 3 to 4 hours. Serve immediately.