I love watermelons. Actually I love melons - period!
And as the summer temperatures continue to rise, these delicious globes find their way more and more frequently to our table. However once in a while, its nice to find a way to dress it up a bit.
So when friends were popping in for a quick bite I decided to do a good ole' melon salad dressed up like prom queen - elegant & pretty. And how better to do that than with herbs, mint & honey?
Make this part of your summer potlucks will ya!
The secret to this lovely salad lies not only the nifty use of a melon baller but also taking a few minutes to do a honey syrup - yup the same stuff that works so well on pancakes.
Honey Syrup - To do this, take equal amounts of water, sugar & honey. Place in a saucepan and stir on medium heat till it the sugar dissolves. Cool completely.
Melons - Use 1/2 a seedless watermelon & 1 rock melon. De-seed the honeydew melon & discard the seeds and membranes. Using a melon baller, scoop out the insides and place in a bowl.
Mint - Separate the leabes from the stalks. Discard stalks. Chiffonade the mint leaves into thin strips.
In a clean bowl, place the cooled honey syrup. Add the juice of lemon and the mint leaves. Stir thoroughly or use a whisk. Once blended, pour over the melon balls.
Stir gently till the melon balls are coated with the dressing. Taste and adjust the sugar & the lemon juice.
Refrigerate for about an hour or so. Serve chilled.
This is a wonderful & refreshing salad that is perfect for the summer. Wonderful for potlucks and buffets as well. I often serve it on the side of a warm pie. Serve the salad with a slotted spoon to separate the melon balls from their juices.
The dressing with its sweet lemony & minty flavors are a perfect accompaniment to the cool and juicy melon balls.
This salad is simplicity at its best and needs no further embellishment to make it perfect.
Recipe for
Quick & Easy Summer Watermelon & Honeydew Melon Salad
Preparation time - 20 minutes
Chilling time - 1 hour
Shopping list
1/2 medium sweet, seedless water melon
1 sweet, ripe honeydew melon
Honey syrup -
1 tbs honey
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs water
Juice of 1/2-1 lemon (depending on taste)
1/2 cup mint leaves (to yield 2-3 tbs sliced mint leaves)
Preparation -
Honey Syrup - To do this, take equal amounts of water, sugar & honey. Place in a saucepan and stir on medium heat till it the sugar dissolves. Cool completely.
Melons - Use 1/2 a seedless watermelon & 1 rock melon. De-seed the honeydew melon & discard the seeds and membranes. Using a melon baller, scoop out the insides and place in a large bowl.
Mint - Separate the leabes from the stalks. Discard stalks. Chiffonade the mint leaves into thin strips.
Method -
In a clean bowl, place the cooled honey syrup. Add the juice of lemon and the mint leaves. Stir thoroughly or use a whisk. Once blended, pour over the melon balls.
Stir gently till the melon balls are coated with the dressing. Taste and adjust the sugar & the lemon juice.
Refrigerate for about an hour or so. Serve chilled.
Enjoy!
