If you have a special celebration upcoming, make sure you save this one. It is purely delightful and truly special. Read on.
- 2 cucumbers, peeled and seeded
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups watermelon, peeled and cubed
- 2 slices cantaloupe, sliced thin and diced
- 1/2 avocado, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup watermelon, diced and reserved
- 1/2 cup crabmeat (from 8 crab legs or Costco container of crab meat)
- 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh dill
- 1 tsp. lime juice
To serve this soup, chill 4 soup bowls.
This is a very important step as it really does enhance the flavours of the soup.
Use a juicer and juice the cucumbers. Strain and put in a container and refrigerate. Wash the juicer and now put in the watermelon cubes and juice. Strain into a container and place in the refrigerator. Check these two after a while and remove any ‘floaties’ that may appear if missed when strained. Sprinkle the salt over the two waters and refrigerate.
To serve:
Add the avocado and cantaloupe into the diced watermelon and divide equally in the 4 bowls. In a bowl, mix together the waters (cucumber and watermelon), add the lime juice and taste. You may need to add more lime juice or perhaps a touch more salt. (Your call).
Now divide the crab meat and place in the center of the bowl. Carefully pour the mixed waters in. Top with the chopped dill.
Congratulations!
Cantaloupe and Ham Tidbits
All you need here is a lovely fresh cantaloupe, ham and toothpicks. Let’s go…
- Oil for the grill pan
- 1/4 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut in wide 1 inch wedges
- 4 thick slices parmesan focaccia bread, crusts removed, toasted and cut into quarters
- 8 slices of a honey or black forest ham, cut in half lengthwise
- 3 oz. camembert cheese, cut into 16 pieces
- olive oil, freshly ground pepper for garnish
Lightly oil grill before preheating over high heat. Grill the melon until grill marks show (2-3 minutes). Remove to a cutting board and cut into 1 inch chunks. That was the hard part.
To put this together, place the bread on a platter, top with pieces of ham, then the cantaloupe, and finally the cheese. Hold together with a fancy toothpick and drizzle a drop or two of oil on each one and sprinkle with black pepper.
Now, that wasn’t hard, was it? Enjoy, these are beautiful.
Prawn, Watermelon, And Cantaloupe Salad
What is not to like about this salad? I love watermelon and I surely love prawns. Put them together and you have a superb salad on a lovely summer day.
- 2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed.
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds
- 1 tsp. coriander seeds
- 1 tsp. pink peppercorns
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 1/2 cups water
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 lbs. prawns, shelled and deveined, keep tails on
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. raspberry vinegar
- 2 cups watermelon, cubed, seeds removed
- 1 cup cantaloupe, balled
- 1 small head frisee lettuce (only the inner leaves)
- 1 head butter lettuce
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
Thinly slice 1 fennel bulb and place in a saucepan. Add the garlic, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, orange zest and juice, wine and water, couple pinches of salt. Place over a medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer the broth for 20 minutes.
Add prawns to broth and cook, uncovered for about 4 minutes (until pink and curled). Remove pan from heat and allow the prawns to marinate in the warm broth for 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer the prawns to a bowl and refrigerate until chilled. Strain broth and keep 1 cup.
To make your dressing, place the reserved broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil and reduce to 2 tbsp. (10-15 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the olive oil and vinegar. Season to taste.
Thinly slice the remaining fennel bulb and add to a large bowl with the fruit, frisee and prawns. Drizzle the dressing and toss gently to combine.
Line serving plates with a few butter lettuce leaves. Spoon salad over the top. Garnish with the chopped tarragon.
This will serve 8 people.
Corn And Cantaloupe Salad
This is a delightfully light salad. Put together a dinner on the deck and this would be a real winner.
- 2 cups fresh corn kernals (4 ears)
- 2 cups cubed cantaloupe
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded, chopped fine
- 1 tbsp. fresh dill
- 3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 2 cups mixed spring greens
Cook the corn in a saucepan for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water until the corn becomes cool. Scrape the corn from the cobs and put in a large bowl.
Add the cubed cantaloupe, jalapeno. dill and toss to combine.
In a bowl. combine the lime juice, olive oil and dry mustard. Pour over the corn mixture. Add the greens and toss.
Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
This will make 6 servings.
Icy Cold Melon & Tomato Salad
This is a wonderful salad on a warm Spring/Summer day. It is so simple yet so tasty. Give it a go! Just make sure all ingredients are chilled in refrigerator at least a day before making.
- 1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp. honey
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups cantaloupe cut in 1 inch pieces
- 2 cups of watermelon cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup papaya, cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup mango, cut in I inch pieces
- I/2 pint baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup torn fresh basil
Whisk together the vinegar, honey and salt in a large bowl.
Add the melons and tomatoes, stirring to coat well. Stir in the basil and serve immediately.
Now, how easy is that? By the way, each 1 cup serving is only 64 calories. Gee, I like it even more now.
Cantaloupe Soup
This is a different but lovely new summer soup. Honest!
- 3 cups ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sparkling apple cider (non-alcoholic)
- 1/4 cup Piesporter wine, chilled
- small pinch of Madras curry powder** This is optional.
Puree the fruit with the lemon juice until smooth. Put through a sieve and add the sparkling cider, wine and curry.
Serve immediately at room temperature and enjoy.
This serves 4
Fresh Cantaloupe Mousse
Looking for new ways to eat fresh summer fruits such as cantaloupe…..here is a nice refreshing dessert (or you could use it as a first course).
- 2 tbsp. of unflavoured gelatin
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1/2 medium cantaloupe, seeded, pared and pureed
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 4 egg whites at room temperature
- 2 cups berry sugar
To soften the gelatin, sprinkle over the cold water. Stir this over a double boiler with bottom pan full of hot water to dissolve.
Cool and add to the cantaloupe (already pureed). Beat the cream until soft peaks form and add 1 cup of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Beat egg whites until fluffy and add the remaining sugar gradually. Fold this into the cream mixture and put into 8 of your prettiest dessert dishes.
Chill for at least 1 hour before presenting to the table.
Add some diced cantaloupe on top . Yummy!
Deck Chair Salad
Warm temperatures, light breeze, deck set up and company’s coming……this is a lovely appetizer.
Serves 4
The reason for the name is because it is perfect for sitting on the deck, relaxing, glass of chilled wine in hand…hmmm……
- 3 tomatoes, cut in thin wedges
- 1 papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into wedges
- 1/2 honey dew melon, peeled and cut in small wedges
- 1/2 sweet onion (if you must) cut into wedges
- If you, like me, don’t like onion, use 1/2 cup cantaloupe, cut in small wedges
- 1/4 cup raspberry vinaigrette (your brand)
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat. Put in a colourful bowl or over-sized decorator martini glass and pour a glass of chilled white wine, enjoy the beautiful day while waiting for the barbecue to heat up.
There seems to be a pattern here, salad, outdoors, chilled wine¦..doesn’t get much better than this.