13 melon recipes

Melon salsa with ripe cantaloupe, fresh ginger, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime. A sweet-spicy no-cook fruit salsa for grilled fish, chicken, or chips.

Chilled cantaloupe soup blended smooth with fresh orange juice, cream, and a pinch of ginger. A no-cook cold soup that's refreshing on hot summer days.

Melon fresco, a Latin American blender drink made from fresh cantaloupe, lime juice, and a whisper of sugar. Four-ingredient summer refresher that's halfway between juice and smoothie.

Chilled two-tone melon soup with cantaloupe and honeydew poured side by side for a striking orange-and-green presentation. A refreshing no-cook summer appetizer with sherry, citrus, and fresh mint.

Minted peaches and melons is a fresh summer fruit salad of ripe peaches and cantaloupe in a light orange-lemon dressing, finished with chopped mint and toasted almonds. No cooking, and easy to make ahead.

Chilled prawn salad with melon balls, strawberries, avocado, and celery in a fresh strawberry-orange dressing. A light, elegant appetizer that's naturally low in fat and ready in 30 minutes with no cooking.

Rhubarb and melon fruit salad with rhubarb melted in white wine and sugar, then chilled with fresh melon balls and mint. A Scandinavian-style summer dessert salad.

Melon, hearts of palm, and prosciutto salad on mesclun greens with red-wine vinaigrette. An elegant Italian-inspired starter with sweet cantaloupe, salty prosciutto, and tender palm hearts.

I used Cornish Game Hens, but you could also use a cut up chicken. If you can't get winter melon, watermelon will work. Winter melon is white, very mild tasting and a tad denser than watermelon. I think you could get away using something like Honeydew too.

Chilled Spanish-style cantaloupe soup blended with potato, half and half, and dry sherry. Silky, elegant, and ready in 15 minutes. Garnish with nutmeg or a slice of lime.

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Savory honeydew melon tossed with rice vinegar, fresh chile strips, and torn cilantro. A four-ingredient cool fruit salad that turns sweet melon into a Thai-inspired brunch starter.

Melon and hearts of palm salad with honeydew, cantaloupe, and artichoke hearts dressed in a mango chutney-lime vinaigrette. An elegant, refreshing summer salad.