Pamplemousse on the Loose

     After three long weeks at sea, one arrives in the Marquesas having long since used up or thrown out most of the fresh produce onboard.  So it only makes these islands seem like more of a paradise to see fruit trees everywhere--branches bending with heavy fruit.  There are coconuts, bananas, limes, oranges, breadfruit, mangoes, soursop, pomegranites...and pamplemousse.

     Pamplemousse is the French word for grapefruit, but the grapefruit here are unlike any you find in the grocery store back home.  They are huge green balls that hang from trees that look much to small to bear them--a good size pamplemousse is practically as large as a bowling ball.  They also are sweeter.  Maybe halfway between a normal grapefruit and an orange in sweetness.  We arrived just in time for pamplemousse season.  After who knows how many breakfasts of a sectioned half-pamplemousse, I started looking for other more interesting things to do with them.  In this tropical sun, an icy cold sorbet sounded really, really good.  

Pamplemousse-Pomegranite Sorbet

1 pamplemousse, juiced (or two medium grapefruit) to yield about a cup and a half of juice

1/3 cup pomegranite juice

2 Tbsp. sugar

      Mix it all together and put in freezer overnight.  To serve, stir the frozen sorbet until slushy and spoon into small bowls.

      For adults only:  for a cool summer cocktail, add a shot of gin to a half cup of sorbet.