Melons Summer on a plate
You know you're in the heart of the summer when the melons come out to play.
Melons are summertime's gift to us, an apology for the heat and humidity, an effort to make things right. When you're eating a melon, it's hard to feel anything but happy.
Watermelons belong in a cooler on a bed of ice, ready to be eaten at a picnic. Cantaloupe and honeydew turn breakfast into something special. All they require is a wedge of lemon or lime.
You already know about cantaloupe wrapped with prosciutto (if you don't, wrap a chunk of cantaloupe in a thin slice of prosciutto and eat. Repeat until blissful).
Perhaps you've had a honeydew smoothie (blend honeydew melon with crushed ice and milk. It's a remarkably refreshing treat).
And if you haven't had chicken or tuna salad mounded in half of a small cantaloupe, now is the time.
To celebrate the joy of all things melon, I stuck close to the basics, with melon-rich salads and a silken panna cotta for dessert.
To begin, I chose a salad that is a terrific example of a simple dish packing a huge dividend of flavor: watermelon, feta and basil salad. It is nothing more than watermelon, feta cheese, basil, red onion and a simple vinaigrette.
What makes it so extraordinary is the way the flavors play off one another. The cheese, with its salty tang, adds a richness that is balanced by the edge of the vinaigrette and onion, all of which plays under the smooth, cool blend of basil and watermelon. It is one of those dishes that achieves culinary perfection.
Picante three-melon salad hits the taste superfecta: it is sweet, sour, salty and spicy. It is also gorgeous. Bite-sized cubes of red watermelon, yellow watermelon (or cantaloupe) and honeydew bring vibrancy to the plate, while the flavor is enhanced with lime juice and rind, salt, chili powder and a small amount of chipotle chiles.
Spicy heat is mostly from a serrano chile (a jalapeno will make it less hot), with more flavor coming from onions and cilantro.
Arugula is a wonderful foil for melon in honeydew and arugula salad. It is one of those cases of opposites that play well together.
Arugula is peppery. Melon is sweet. Put them together and you have an irresistible combination, especially when topped with a cool dressing made from pureed honeydew, mayonnaise, lime juice and plenty of fresh herbs. Changing the herb mixture will give you a different dressing every time.
Dessert is a cantaloupe panna cotta. A popular dessert in Italy, panna cotta combines the best aspects of ice cream and Jell-O, but it tastes much better than that sounds.
It is a semi-solid but somewhat quivering chilled dessert made with cream — or milk, if you must, and in this case some Greek yogurt is added to make it a bit tangy.
If you don't like it tangy, stick with the cream. Or the milk.
Most of the flavor, in this case, comes from pureed cantaloupe (or other melon), sweetened with honey. Powdered gelatin will help it set. Serve with mixed berries.
Yield: 8 servings3 cups red cubed, seeded watermelon3 cups yellow cubed, seeded watermelon, see note3 cups cubed honeydew melon½ cup chopped white onion2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro1 finely chopped, seeded serrano or jalapeno pepper1 teaspoon grated lime rind3 tablespoons fresh lime juice½ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon chili powder1/8 to ¼ teaspoon minced chipotle chile (from a can in adobo sauce)Note: If you can't find yellow watermelon, use cantaloupe.Combine the watermelons (and cantaloupe, if using), honeydew, onion, cilantro and serrano in a large bowl.In a small bowl, combine the rind, juice, salt, chili powder and minced chipotle.Pour the juice mixture over the melon mixture, and toss well. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.Recipe from Cooking Light
Yield: 6 servings1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, flesh cut into large pieces1 tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin (1 packet plus ½ teaspoon)½ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt, see note¾ cup heavy cream3 tablespoons honey, dividedCoarse salt1 cup blackberries, see note1 cup blueberries, see note2 tablespoons fresh orange juiceNote: If you want it sweeter, use ½ cup heavy cream, half-and-half or whole milk instead of the yogurt. Use the ripest berries you can find; raspberries or strawberries would also work.In a blender, purée the cantaloupe until smooth. Pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing lightly on the solids (you should have about 2 cups of purée); discard the solids.Pour one-third cup juice into a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over the top; let it sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk yogurt into the remaining juice.In a small saucepan, bring the cream, 2 tablespoons of the honey and a pinch of salt to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and cook until the gelatin dissolves, about 1 minute.Whisk the cream mixture into the yogurt mixture and divide among 6 (6-ounce) bowls or ramekins. Refrigerate until set, 2½ hours or overnight.Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon honey, blackberries, blueberries and orange juice. With the back of a fork, lightly mash the berries to release their juices. Cover and refrigerate until needed.To unmold the panna cottas, run a small knife around the outside edge of each bowl and invert onto a serving plate, gently shaking from side to side to release.Serve with berries and juices.Recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food.
Yield: 4 servings½ honeydew melon1/3 cup mixed fresh herbs3 tablespoons mayonnaise2 tablespoons lime juice10 ounces baby arugulaSalt and pepperCut the honeydew into small, thin pieces.Purée ½ cup of the melon pieces with the herbs, mayonnaise, lime juice and salt and pepper.Toss this mixture with the baby arugula and add the rest of the melon pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste.Recipe from Food Network Magazine
Yield: 4 servings4 cups watermelon, cubed1 cup feta cheese, crumbled½ cup red onion, sliced thin, optional10 leaves fresh basil, sliced thinVinaigrette or ranch dressingIn a large bowl, combine the watermelon, feta cheese and optional red onion.Scatter the basil over the top, and lightly dress the salad with vinaigrette or ranch dressing.
