Ripe Melon with Mint

This dish relies solely on elevating the natural sweetness of summer melon. When paired with this subtle variety of mint, both tastes find a unique balance. This dish is perfect served as a side salad at a picnic, or dressed up as a cold summer soup for a dinner party.This is the second of a two part entry this week for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Cooking Diva.

About Mint…

In contrast to thyme, mint grows best in shaded damp soil. Many mint species are invasive, colonizing surrounding soil through its underground roots system known as “runners.” To control invasive species when planting in an open garden, plant the mint in submerged bottomless containers. The container walls will control the shallow spread of roots that promotes aggressive growth.

There are a wide variety of mint species, including many pure species and a growing list of hybrids. Peppermint, Spearmint, and Applemint are the most popular species for cultivation and culinary use. This recipe uses Mentha suaveolens, Apple Mint.

Ingredients:

1/2 large ripe cantaloupe or other melon
10-12 large apple mint leaves, cut chiffonade

Sprinkle leaves on chopped melon, reserving some for garnish if desired. Toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve, but remove in advance to allow the melon to approach room temperature and bring out the full sweetness.

Serving Variations: Fruit soups are increasingly popular each summer. This simple pairing would make a gorgeous and elegant chilled fruit soup. Puree the melon until smooth. The mint could be chopped chiffonade to garnish the soup. Alternately, you could blend the mint leaves and swirl the blended mint into the soup. This would also make a lovely cocktail, mixing the blended melon with vodka.