August is a funny month, the tomatoes are really going strong and the peaches are still fantastic and raspberries come back…In other words, lots of possibilities for refreshment before the apples arrive again. It isn’t that I don’t love apples, I mean I was “the apple lady” for so many years with my calvados…but I re-discovered melon last summer and I must share this with you..
Today was a horrible day weather wise…rain, humid..not so nice, however I had an errand to do at Zabar’s so I knew this would be a great chance to go to the market on Columbus Avenue at the back side of the Museum of Natural History. This market is completely out of the way for me, but if you live on the West Side, you must go..it has increased in size and scope over the years and two people I adore, Berried Treasure and Terhune Orchards are there…so I can fill in until my Wednesday market.
I had the melon at home..I bought it from Maxwell’s on Wednesday and it was ripe. I had to buy a few extra peaches and some raspberries….so here is an incredible dessert that can be made very successfully in the winter as well..not as good, but you can “spice it up” with some sugar in those months…
CANDIA’S SUMMER MELON SOUP WITH FRESH FRUITS…
Ingredients:
- 1 melon (cantaloupe )
- 2 white peaches and 1 yellow…or the other way around your choice
- four sprigs of fresh basil
- some raspberries and a few blackberries
- 2 limes
- sugar or artificial sweetener if you desire (I don’t use either)
What you do:
- peel and seed the melon.
- Put half the melon into the food processor and puree
- put the basil leaves into the above mixture, but reserve a few of the smallest leaves for garnish
- cut the peaches into very thin slices, you can peel them if you like before cutting, but I don’t. and put into a bowl
- squeeze the lime juice over the peaches
- with the second half of the melon, peel and cut into pieces and slice thin, then put on top of the peaches and put that bowl into the frig for at least 1 hour
- put the melon puree into the frig at the same time
- to serve, put some puree in the bottom of individual bowl, then some of the peaches/melon combo and finish with some raspberries and blackberries if you like. some small basil leaves to top it off are great.
- If you feel you need sugar, add the sugar to the melon puree…not to the cut fruit.
I suppose you could also serve this over ice cream..but that would ruin the freshness of the herbs and the fruit…..but it might be fun. Don’t miss this chance to combine the August fruits..
