Watermelon Mint Sorbet

Labor Day weekend. Last grilling with the fervor of a man saying goodbye to a season — burgers, dogs, chicken, corn, everything on the grill. Made smoked sausages with peppers and onions — kielbasa from the Polish deli, smoked over hickory until the casing cracked, peppers and onions charred alongside, piled on hoagie rolls with mustard. A sandwich that is summer in bread form.

Went to the outdoor store Saturday to see Clay at work. Didn't tell him I was coming — pretended to browse the tent aisle. He spotted me and said Dad, are you shopping or spying. I said both. He showed me around, introduced his manager Keith who shook my hand and said Clay's one of his best. One of his best. I nodded and left before my face did something I couldn't control.

Earl Thomas is almost five months. Sitting with support, laughing, grabbing. Travis brought him over Sunday and I held him on my lap and showed him the garden, which is ending. I said Earl Thomas, this is a garden. I said your great-grandma Betty has one just like it. I said you're going to help me next spring. Travis said Dad, he can't hold a spoon. I said he doesn't need a spoon, he needs dirt.

After you’ve gone through a pound of kielbasa, a half-dozen peppers, and more hoagie rolls than any reasonable person should account for, you need something cold and clean to close the whole thing out. I made this watermelon mint sorbet that Sunday evening — Earl Thomas asleep on the couch, Travis watching the game, the grill finally cooling down in the yard — and it felt exactly right: simple, a little sweet, the kind of thing that doesn’t ask anything of you. End of summer deserves a quiet exit, and this was it.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 4 hrs 15 min (includes freeze time) | Servings: 6

Ingredients

6 cups seedless watermelon, cubed (about 1/2 a small watermelon)
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, packed
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup (adjust to taste)
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Freeze the watermelon. Arrange watermelon cubes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for at least 2 hours, until solid.
Blend. Transfer frozen watermelon to a food processor or high-powered blender. Add mint leaves, lime juice, honey, and salt. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, about 1—2 minutes.
Taste and adjust. Taste the sorbet and add more honey if you’d like it sweeter, or a little more lime for brightness. Blend again briefly to combine.
Set the texture. For a soft-serve consistency, serve immediately. For a firmer sorbet, transfer to a lidded freezer-safe container and freeze for an additional 1—2 hours.
Scoop and serve. Let the sorbet sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint if you like.

Nutrition (per serving)

Watermelon Mint Sorbet — The Sweet Close to One Last Summer Weekend