THREE CHILLED MELON SOUPS
CANTALOUPE & GINGER
1 ripe cantaloupe
large pinch of powdered ginger, to taste
Greek yogurt, sour cream, or crème fraiche
SPANISH MELON & MINT WITH CUCUMBER
1 ripe Spanish melon
¼ c. fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled & sliced into thin rounds
a mild, non-iodized salt like Danival (optional)
HONEYDEW & CITRUS
1 ripe honeydew melon
grated zest of 1 large orange, 1 lemon & 1 lime
For all three:
rustic white bread (crusts removed), soaked in water
fruity olive oil to taste (optional)
Directions for Each:
Rinse the melon, remove seeds and cut the flesh into small chunks. Puree the fruit in a food processor or with an immersion blender. For additional body, you can add some rustic white bread and/or a little fruity olive oil. Blend until perfectly smooth. Season according to directions below, chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Cantaloupe: season to taste with powdered ginger before chilling. Serve in individual bowls with a dollop of Greek yogurt, sour cream, or crème fraiche. If you’re lucky enough to have access to fresh blueberries, add a sprinkling of them to each bowl before serving.
Spanish melon: puree the chopped mint leaves with the melon. Serve in individual bowls, top with thin-sliced cucumber rounds and a tiny pinch (really tiny – a few grains will do) of salt.
Honeydew: Sprinkle each serving with grated lemon, lime and orange zest before serving.
I don’t have access to Persian melons, but if I did I’d dress them up with a generous splash of rose water (this with a nod to Schelley Talalay Dardashti, who knows her Persian Sephardic cuisine).
SEPHARDIC FOOD 