Watermelon Granita
serves 6
 
4 cups watermelon, cut into chunks
2 limes, zested and juiced (reserve zest for garnish)
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon agave nectar
 
Parfait Components
2-3 cups plain yogurt, vanilla ice cream, or coconut milk ice cream for vegans
2 cups watermelon, cut into bit size chunks
1-2 cups blueberries and/or blackberries
 
Put 4 cups of the watermelon chunks, the lime juice, and agave nectar into a blender. Reserve the remaining watermelon chunks and lime zest for serving. Blend until liquefied. Taste for balance of sweetness and acid. The mixture should not be overly sweet with a hint of lime.
Pour the mixture into a shallow glass rectangular dish. Cover and freeze.
After about an 2 hours, check on the freezing of the mixture. If it has begun to set, use a fork to move it around. Check again after another 30-60 minutes. The larger the dish and more shallow the mixture is in it, the faster it will set.
Once the mixture is fully frozen, remove it from the freezer and allow to sit for about 3-5 minutes to soften before beginning to scrape. It might be necessary to stab it into the mixture to break it up, but it softens rather quickly.
 
Assembly of parfaits.
 
Use a clear juice, parfait, wine, or martini glasses or 1 pint mason jars to assemble and serve.
Put about 1/4 cup of the watermelon chunks into the bottom of the glass. Add a small scoop (2-3 tablespoons) of either the ice cream or yogurt on top of the watermelon. Layer a scoop of the granita on top of the cream and repeat with a little more fruit, ice cream, and top with granita. Sprinkle the top with the a few berries or reserved lime zest. Serve immediately.
If you are serving for a large party, I would recommend preparing them in advance and keeping them frozen until serving. In such a case, reserve the fresh fruit for serving perhaps only using berries over the top.