Posted July 20, 2010
Melon Salsa
Yield: About 2 1/4 cups
3/4 cup diced honeydew melon
3/4 cup diced cantaloupe
3/4 cup diced watermelon
1 1/2 teaspoons minced serrano chile, with seeds1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh mint
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1. Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Serve with shrimp or chicken.
Per (1/4-cup) serving: 15 calories; no fat; no saturated fat; no cholesterol; no protein; 4g carbohydrate; 3.5g sugar; no fiber; 5mg sodium; 4mg calcium.
Adapted from “The Great Salsa Book,” by Mark Miller (Ten Speed Press, 1994)
Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon Bites
Yield: 8 appetizer servings
1/2 small cantaloupe or honeydew, seeded
1 1/2 cups loosely packed arugula
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves4 paper-thin slices prosciutto or country ham
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1. Cut melon into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices (about 16). Place each melon slice on top of 3 arugula leaves and 1 to 2 basil leaves.
2. Cut each prosciutto slice lengthwise into 4 strips. Wrap the center of each melon bundle with 1 prosciutto strip. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with pepper.
Per serving: 30 calories; 1g fat; no saturated fat; 5mg cholesterol; 2g protein; 3g carbohydrate; 2g sugar; 0.5 fiber; 190mg sodium; 15mg calcium.
Adapted from “Southern Living Farmers Market Cookbook” (Oxmoor House, 2010)
Tomato-Watermelon Salad with Almond Vinaigrette
Yield: 6 servings
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons harissa (see note)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup 1/2-inch-cubes watermelon
1 jalapeno chile, seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced2 tablespoons torn flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons torn mint leaves
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 red tomatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), roughly chopped
3 yellow tomatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), roughly chopped
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1. Combine almonds, garlic and harissa in a small pan over medium heat and saute for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Combine olive oil, vinegar, lime juice and shallots in a small bowl. Whisk in almond-harissa mixture.
3. Toss watermelon, jalapeno, parsley, mint and capers in a large bowl. Season with salt and a few grindings of pepper. Add tomatoes and vinaigrette and toss to combine. Garnish with goat cheese; serve immediately.
Note: Harissa is a hot red pepper paste that can be found in the ethnic aisle of some supermarkets and in African and Middle Eastern specialty stores.
Per serving: 185 calories; 13g fat; 4g saturated fat; 12mg cholesterol; 6g protein; 12g carbohydrate; 5g sugar; 3g fiber; 310mg sodium; 140mg calcium.
Adapted from “New American Table,” by Marcus Samuelsson (Wiley, 2009)
Melon Cooler
Yield: 8 servings
8 cups (1/2-inch) watermelon cubes
1 1/2 cups cold ginger ale, divided 1/3 cup cold water, divided
1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, divided
1. Place watermelon cubes in a single layer in an extra-large zipper-top plastic freezer bag; freeze for 8 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2. Process 4 cups watermelon, 3/4 cup ginger ale and about half of the water and half the limeade concentrate in a blender until smooth; pour into a pitcher. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, stir into the pitcher, and serve immediately.
Variations: Substitute honeydew melon cubes for the watermelon cubes and 1 (6-ounce) can of frozen lemonade concentrate for the limeade. Or substitute cantaloupe cubes for the watermelon and add 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon at a time, when processing.
Per serving: 120 calories; no fat; no saturated fat; no cholesterol; no protein; 31g carbohydrate; 29g sugar; 1g fiber; 10mg sodium; 10mg calcium.
Adapted from “Southern Living Farmers Market Cookbook” (Oxmoor House, 2010)