Seasonal vegetables and fruits always seem to us tastier than others. And although summer is over, we still have the opportunity to enjoy his last gift – fragrant and sweet melon.
I have always believed that melon (unlike watermelon) is a product for real gourmets, refined and delicate. I know picky “melon experts” who are well versed in its varieties, know how to choose the best fruits. After all, each type of melon is special: long cylindrical “torpedoes” with a delicate and fresh taste; small round “collective farmers”; bright orange, honey-sweet, firmer-fleshed cantaloupe melon. In order not to be mistaken, I always buy melons in the same place. Their choice is a whole ritual. The seller always asks when exactly I am going to eat it, because it depends on how ripe the fruit I need. If today it is the most ripe, and if the next day it is firmer so that the melon can “reach” a little more.
You can test the ripeness of a melon by pressing down on the rind on the opposite side of the stem. The unripe crust is hard, the overripe one is too soft. If the crust under the finger is slightly springy, then everything is in order.
Melon itself is an extremely tasty delicacy and a source of valuable nutrients. It can be combined with a wide variety of products – dry-cured ham, crustaceans, smoked fish or soft cheeses. Cooked melon is great in mashed potatoes and jams, if you add ginger and spices to it. Fried it is served as a side dish for white meat and poultry dishes. And as an ingredient in chutney sauce, it will emphasize the taste of terrines and curries.
Melon is the last gift of autumn, which seems to have absorbed all the sun over the past summer. Therefore, I like to spend warm days with a melon, sitting on a terrace somewhere outside the city. By the way, it goes well with champagne and good company!
Spiced melon dessert
For 4 persons
Prepare: 10 minutes
Preparation: 20 minutes
- 2 small melons (600–700 g)
- 50 g fresh ginger
- 1 vanilla pod
- 6 tablespoons Sahara
- 1 pinch of saffron
- 2 star anise
- 2 cloves
- 2 pieces of cinnamon
- tsp mixed colored peppers
Preparation
After peeling the ginger, cut it into thin strips; split the vanilla along the pod. Dissolve the sugar in 300 ml of water and bring to a boil in a deep non-stick frying pan; add spices and leave on low heat for 5 minutes. Wash melons, remove seeds. Divide into quarters, and then cut each into 4 more pieces. Remove the peel from the slices. Put the melon in the syrup and simmer over very low heat for 3 minutes on each side. Then, using a slotted spoon, transfer it to a bowl. Boil the syrup to a thicker state and pour it over the melon. When the dessert has cooled, put it in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours. When serving, you can decorate it with a scoop of ice cream, fresh raspberries and a little sprinkle with lemon juice.
Melon with berries and sorbet
For 4 persons
Prepare: 35 minutes
Preparation: 10 minutes
- 2 small melons (500–700 g)
- 100 g blueberries
- 100 g raspberries
- 100 g blackberries
- 170 g mango and melon puree (you can use baby)
- 2 st. l. Roma Bacardi
- 3 art. l. melon syrup
- a few mint leaves
Preparation
To make the sorbet, combine the mango puree and melon puree with the rum with a mixer; transfer this homogeneous mass to a plastic container and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the melons in half and remove the pits. Using a special spoon, cut out small balls from the pulp of the melon and shift them with berries. In the remaining empty halves of the melon, put 1 tbsp. l. sorbet, and on top – a mixture of berries and melon. Drizzle with syrup and garnish with mint leaves.