Recipe - Lemon Verbena Sorbet

So truth be told I'm much more of a cook than a gardener. While I'm excited to learn about how to garden, I'm ALSO excited about the fruits of our labour. So why am I so excited this morning? I came across this lovely vegan recipe which uses Lemon Verbena!

Lemon Verbena Sorbet

- 15 grams (about 2 cups) fresh lemon verbena leaves, rinsed and gently patted dry
- 180 grams (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) unrefined cane sugar (the soft kind, not granulated)
- one large organic lemon, scrubbed
- 1 tablespoon limoncello (optional, but a bit of alcohol helps keep sorbet smooth)

Makes about 750 ml (3 cups); the recipe may be halved.

In the bowl of a blender or food processor, combine the lemon verbena leaves and the sugar. Using a vegetable peeler, shave three strips of zest from the lemon, and add them in. Process until finely ground.

Transfer to a mixing bowl, add the juice of the lemon, the limoncello if using, and 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) cold water. Whisk to combine, cover, and let this mixture steep in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours.

Strain through a fine sieve to remove the little flecks of leaf (teeny bits may remain, but that's okay), and churn in the ice cream maker. Serve with hazelnut cookies, very ginger cookies, or some of those heart-shaped gingerbread cookies you bought the other day because who says there is a season for gingerbread cookies?

The texture is best when the sorbet is freshly churned. If you have leftovers, apply a piece of plastic wrap closely to the surface to prevent crystallization. Let the sorbet soften for 20-30 minutes in the fridge before serving.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can make this as a granita. Prepare the mixture in the morning. Strain it 2 hours later, pour it into a freezer-safe container (preferably glass or metal), and place in the freezer. An hour later, remove the container from the freezer, scrape and draw the sides in with a fork (the mixture will set from the sides in), stir vigorously, and return to the freezer. Repeat every hour. The granita will be ready by dinnertime.

The recipe can be found at the link below with some commentary from the chef/blogger.
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2009/07/lemon_verbena_sorbet.php