Having shopped for our Labor Day party before the revised weather
forecast double-crossed me, other than the barbecued baby back ribs,
deviled eggs and Summer Tomatoes, the only other menu item that wasn't
just utterly stupid for such a hot day (in a house without air
conditioning) was a new dessert recipe I tried that turned out to be
an absolute delight and is one of the few times I've seen folks go
back for dessert-seconds after a large meal. The original recipe just
called for watermelon and cantaloupe, but I found the addition of
pineapple chunks to be a great foil for the melon. I also cut the
melon into chunks, rather than wedges. The original recipe was
designed for a picnic and the various components separated in plastic
ware and assembled at the picnic site :
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Watermelon, Cantaloupe (And Pineapple) With Lime-Mint Syrup
desserts, misc. side dishes
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 1 1/2 limes)
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest; from 1 1/2 limes)
1 medium ripe cantaloupe (about 3 1/2 lbs.; cut into 24 thin wedge
1 (4-pound) piece watermelon, preferably seedless; cut into 24 thin
wedges
(1 ripe pineapple, cut into chunks)
2 tablespoons fresh mint, preferably spearmint; finely chopped
Be sure to start this recipe at least 1 1/2 hours ahead so the
components have time to cool. Mix up the syrup and chill it until it's
cold. Cut the melons (and pineapple) into wedges (chunks) and
refrigerate.
In small bowl, whisk together sugar and 1/4 cup hot water until sugar
is dissolved. Stir in lime juice and zest. Cover and refrigerate until
cool, about 1 1/2 hours. (Syrup can be made ahead and chilled,
covered, up to 3 days.)
(Melons (and pineapple) can be sliced and chilled up to 12 hours
ahead.)
As close to serving time as possible, stir mint into syrup and drizzle
over melon wedges. Serve chilled.
Contributor: Epicurious
Yield: 8 servings.
Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
--
"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."
-- Duncan Hines
To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"