19 melon recipes

Cantaloupe macerated in dry sparkling wine with orange marmalade and fresh mint. A light, elegant fruit dessert that needs a few hours in the fridge and zero cooking.

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.

Fresh melon and grape salad with cantaloupe, watermelon, and green grapes tossed in a honey-lime-Dijon dressing. A sweet-tangy summer fruit salad with a savory twist.

Big-batch melon and citrus fruit salad with honeydew, cantaloupe, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, bananas, and cherries in fresh orange juice. Feeds 20 and keeps a week.

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.

Icy melon freeze made with pureed honeydew, orange juice, and sugar. Frozen, beaten fluffy, then frozen again for a light, refreshing no-churn sorbet.

No-churn mango cantaloupe sorbet sweetened with maple syrup and brightened with lime juice. A low-fat, dairy-free frozen dessert made entirely in a blender and freezer.

Chilled melon soup made with pureed cantaloupe, honeydew, sweet white wine, and cardamom. A refreshing no-cook summer soup garnished with fresh mint.

Galia melon in port wine with honey and pomegranate seeds is an elegant, no-cook fruit dessert. Just four ingredients for a light, boozy finish to a dinner party that looks as stunning as it tastes.

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.

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.

Chilled honeydew melon soup with mint, honey, lime juice, and buttermilk for a tangy edge. A refreshing 6-ingredient summer first course or light dessert.

Cantaloupe and honeydew melon balls soaked in fresh watermelon juice with rum and sugar. A boozy, refreshing summer fruit dessert that chills overnight for maximum flavor.

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.