Making Grapefruit Sorbet

Sorbets are a wonderful dessert after a rich meal or simply on a hot summer day. A dessert wine and elegant cookies complement this grapefruit sorbet nicely. Serves four.

Boil 1 c. wine in a small, heavy saucepan until it has reduced to 1/4 c.

Pour the wine into a large bowl.

Add the grapefruit juice, sugar, corn syrup, grenadine and peel.

Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Mix in the remaining 3/4 c. wine.

Refrigerate the mixture until cold.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Keep frozen in a covered container.

Pink Grapefruit-Asti Sorbet

After the insanely rich and creamy roasted banana ice-cream I made earlier this month, the wild boar wanted something lighter and refreshing for a change.

This recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz' pink grapefruit-champagne sorbet recipe. I used Asti, a type of sweet white sparkling wine instead of champagne. Since the wine is quite sweet, I omitted the sugar and sweetened it with agave nectar. It's extremely refreshing with a mix of bitter and sweet flavours. Perfect for a hot summer day or after a spicy meal!

Grapefruit jelly cheesecake

This chilled no-bake cheesecake with a tangy fruit topping is a colourful finale to any dinner party.

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8)

    * Melted butter, to grease
    * 9g pkt pink grapefruit flavoured low-kilojoule jelly crystals
    * 250g pkt cream cheese, at room temperature
    * 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
    * 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
    * 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
    * 300ml ctn thickened cream
    * 2 tbs cold water
    * 2 tsp gelatine powder
    * 6-8 Arnott's Nice biscuits
    * Pink grapefruit segments, to serve
    * Double cream (optional), to serve

Starburst grapefruit salad recipe

This recipe comes from Kolika Kirk. We haven't tried this recipe yet, but we'd love to hear about if you do!

Ingredients

    * 2 grapefruits (Texas Ruby Red preferred), about 26 ounces total
    * 1½ cups strawberries, stemmed, halved
    * 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
    * ½ tablespoon sugar
    * 1 tablespoon shallot, finely diced
    * ¼ teaspoon salt
    * ¼ cup vegetable oil
    * ½ teaspoon poppy seeds
    * ½ teaspoon grapefruit zest
    * 8 ounces fresh spinach, cleaned, cut in bite-size pieces

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is a hybrid of two citrus species, Citrus maxima (pummelo) and Citrus sinensis (sweet orange). Grapefruit has a deep red flesh inside and it is a variety of Florida. It makes an essential nutrient for skin development and eyesight.

Grapefruit

The fruit is yellow orange skinned and its major types are white, pink and red. The color will not affect the flavor where the pink and red grapefruit add Vitamin A to your diet. It makes a perfect breakfast since it comes in a ready-made bowl. It should not be picked until it is fully ripe.

Health benefits

    * Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C
    * It helps to lower the cholesterol level where the seeds have antioxidant properties
    * Grapefruit is rich in nutrients like potassium, folate, thiamin, vitamin A, vitamin B6 and fiber
    * It is an anti-cancer agent that helps to fight against diseases
    * It is very helpful in dissolving inorganic calcium

Ginger Basil Grapefruit Spritzer

It’s been a blistering hot Summer here.  At times I have trouble focusing, my head feels a daze as I watch the heat shrivel out the remaining life of our cucumber plants.  Day after day the temperatures soared past 100 even 105! How is that even legal?  It’s even unbearable to walk around barefoot anymore; the once soft plushy grass is now replaced with a crunchy yellow patch.  My feet strive for relief.

I can hardly wait for Fall to arrive and I often pray hard for rain.  It seems that God is listening — for the past two mornings have been graced by the soft pitter patter of rain drops beating against my window.  What relief for this scorching hot Summer.  What joy life must feel after such an absence.  If only it rained harder so I could sing and dance and twirl like a child again.

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

Serves 4
For beautiful results, use both pink and white grapefruit in this refreshing salad.

Ingredients

2 grapefruits
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 head Bibb or butter lettuce

Method

Using a large knife, carefully peel grapefruits, making sure to remove all of the white pith. Working over a large bowl to catch any juice, cut along the side of each membrane to release the segments and let them drop into the bowl. Add avocados and onion, and toss well. Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter, spoon salad over the top and serve.

Fruit of the Month: Grapefruit

The grapefruit we know today was developed in the West Indies in the early 1700s and first introduced to Florida in the 1820s. Today, most grapefruit is still grown in Florida. Since the early part of the 20th century, mutant strains of white grapefruit have appeared with pink to slightly reddish color, and have been propagated by citriculturists into several strains of grapefruit that are now best known as the Ruby Red. Grapefruit got its name from the way it grows in clusters (like grapes) on the tree. There is no mistaking a grapefruit tree—they are large with glossy dark green leaves and the fruit hangs in clusters on the tree. Grapefruit trees are beautiful and a member of the citrus family. It seems to be a cross between an orange and a shaddock, combining the sweet and tangy flavor of each fruit.

WARNING!

If YOU DRINK GRAPEFRUIT JUICE AND TAKE MEDICATIONS READ THIS:

A cold glass of grapefruit juice is part of the morning routine for a lot of people. What you may not realize, however, is that this same juice might interact with drugs you are taking. The interaction between grapefruit and some medications was discovered by accident when researchers were looking for an interaction between a particular blood pressure medicine and alcohol. Grapefruit juice was used as a vehicle to mask the taste of the alcohol. While the alcohol did not affect the amount of the drug circulating in the body, the grapefruit juice greatly increased the levels of the medication.

Some medications which may be affected by grapefruit juice include: midazolam (Versed¾), cyclosporin (Sandimmune¾, Neoral¾), lovastatin (Mevacor¾), simvastatin (Zocor¾), ¾), pravastatin (Pravachol¾), and Thyroid medications.