Melon Chiller Recipes

CHILLED MELON, CUCUMBER AND MINT SALAD

Steps:

• Place the melons on a flat surface and split each one in half. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Use the larger-size scoop on a melon baller to scoop out the flesh. The goal is to tightly pack about 6 generous cups of melon flesh and then hollow the four melon halves out for presentation. Scrape the halves with a spoon to smooth the insides and gather additional flesh (and trap any juices) in a separate bowl until you have 1 heaping cup. Save the melon halves. Refrigerate the melon balls.
• Place the melon scraps and juices in a blender and add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lime zest and juice and honey. Puree until smooth and taste for seasoning. Add more honey, if needed. Add a splash of water if more liquid is needed to make a smooth puree. Refrigerate.
• In a medium bowl, toss the cucumbers with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and a generous amount of black pepper. Toss the melon balls with the dressing. Sprinkle the cucumbers and mint over the melon and mix a little. Fill the melon halves.

MELON CHILLER

Steps:

• Scrape the cantaloupe meat lengthwise with a spoon or a melon baller and place in a punch bowl; add the water and sugar. Mix thoroughly until all the sugar is dissolved. Chill with the addition of plenty of ice cubes.

CHILLED MELON SOUP

Steps:

• Put half of the cantaloupe into a blender along with the yogurt and blend until smooth. Add the remaining cantaloupe and blend again until smooth. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the orange juice, honey, nutmeg, salt and cayenne and blend until well mixed. Pour into a soup tureen and chill at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs before setting out.

CHILLED MELON, CUCUMBER, AND MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Peel, halve, and seed 2 cucumbers, then coarsely chop. (You should have about 4 1/2 cups.) Halve and seed remaining (unpeeled) cucumber; cut into a 1/4-inch dice. Working in batches, puree chopped cucumbers, melon, 1/2 cup lime juice, mint, and ice in a food processor or blender. Season with salt and more lime juice. Transfer soup to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 hours.
• Smear 1/4 cup yogurt onto two sides of each serving bowl. Spoon chilled soup into bowls, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with diced cucumbers and mint. Serve, with lime wedges.

SANGRIA MELON CHILLER

Steps:

• Stir together sugar, water, and torn mint in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer 1 minute, then cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Strain syrup mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pushing on mint to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard mint leaves. Chill syrup until ready to use.
• Stir together wine, orange juice, Triple Sec, and mint simple syrup in a pitcher or large bowl. Add cantaloupe and watermelon and chill at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• Pour or ladle over ice, if desired, into 8 glasses and garnish each with a mint leaf or sprig.

CHILLED MELON SOUP

Steps:

• Place the orange juice, yogurt and cantaloupe in a blender; cover and process until pureed. Add the honey, salt, nutmeg and cayenne; cover and process until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with mint sprigs.