Perfect for summertime, this appetizer is served cold using my favorite summer ingredients - tomatoes and basil! It can be made ahead of time which helps when you're trying to get it all together for a dinner party.

Serves 4 - 6

• 3 1/4 cups white wine (I used Pinot Grigio), divided
• 2 lemons, cut in half
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1-2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (to taste)
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, raw, shell on, deveined (I like to devein them before I cook them, but you can do it after you cook and peel them if you like)

1. Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Wash the tomatoes and lemons. Cut the lemons in half.
3. In a large pot, combine 3 cups white wine, lemons (squeezing the juice into the pot), bay leaf and salt and bring to a simmer.
4. Cut an "X" in the bottom of each tomato and drop them into the hot wine mixture. Let them sit in there for 2-3 minutes or until the skin starts to come away from the tomato. Remove to cool.
5. Add the shrimp to the hot wine mixture and bring to a boil. Cook them until pink, 1-2 minutes. Drain them and plunge them into the ice water bath. Once cooled, drain the shrimp and peel (and devein if you haven't already) them. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate them until you are ready to serve.
6. Peel and de-seed the tomatoes and place them in the blender with 1/4 cup white wine, sugar, white balsamic vinegar, garlic and basil. Puree until smooth. Salt to taste.
7. Pour the tomato puree into a 9 inch glass pie pan (or a shallow pan) and place it in the freezer. After 20 minutes, stir the mixture with a fork (kind of like a raking motion) and continue freezing and stirring every 20 minutes, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. (It should look like snow cone ice).
8. Arrange the shrimp on individual appetizer plates and top with a generous spoonful of the tomato basil granita and a basil sprig. Serve with more white wine!