Directions

1. 1

   Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Place the 12 lemon verbena leaves (or mint leaves) in a bowl and carefully pour the hot water over them. Cover the bowl and let the leaves steep for 20 to 30 minutes to infuse the water with their fragrant flavor. Strain out and discard the leaves, keeping the fragrant liquid.

2. 2

   Cut the honeydew melon in half. Using a spoon or melon baller, scrape out all the seeds from the center. Keep the pale, tender flesh that surrounds the seed cavity—it is particularly sweet and flavorful. Discard only the seeds themselves.

3. 3

   Cut away and discard the thick rind from the melon. Chop the melon flesh into chunks until you have approximately 4 cups of chopped honeydew.

4. 4

   In a blender or food processor, combine the cooled verbena infusion, the 4 cups of honeydew chunks, ½ cup of lime juice, and ¾ cup of agave nectar (or 1 cup of sugar). Blend until completely smooth, working in batches if necessary. Taste the puree and add more agave or sugar if desired, keeping in mind that sweetness will diminish after freezing. The puree can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead; if making ahead, refrigerate it overnight.

5. 5

   Pour the melon puree into a large shallow baking dish and cover it loosely with plastic wrap or a lid. Place it in the freezer and freeze for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

6. 6

   Remove the baking dish from the freezer. Using a fork, vigorously scrape the frozen and partially frozen portions, paying special attention to the edges and corners of the dish where freezing begins first. Break up all the frozen bits to create small ice crystals.

7. 7

   Return the dish to the freezer and repeat the scraping process every 45 minutes. Continue this cycle for 3 to 4 hours, or until the granita has a light, fluffy, granular texture throughout. Once ready, serve immediately. The finished granita will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; if it becomes too solid, use a fork to scrape it before serving.