Recipe

Step 1: Put the tomato and cucumber seeds and juice in a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl. Add any other scraps from chopping, let drain, and then use a spoon to press the seeds and scraps to release more juices. You should end up with between 2/3 and 1 cup liquid.

Step 2: Bring 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan on the stove or place the water in a glass measuring pitcher and bring to a boil by heating in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and salt, stir to dissolve, and add to the tomato-cucumber water along with the vinegar and cayenne. You can adjust seasoning if needed; it will taste sweet now, but this will dissipate with freezing.

Step 3: Place the mixture in an 8″ x 8″ glass baking dish and freeze for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Rake with a fork, breaking up any frozen crystals. Continue freezing and scraping every ?30 minutes until slushy, about 1-1/2 hours total. (You can hold the granita an hour or two longer in the freezer if you stir it occasionally.) Serve in shot glasses with small spoons.

Reprinted with permission from Tara Duggan’s Root-to-Stalk Cooking (2013 Ten Speed Press).