Have you ever tried honeydew melon? Really tried it. I know many of us may associate the honeydew melon with that dreadful frozen fruit cup that many restaurants offer as their standard fruit cup: one or two red grapes, cantaloupe, and honeydew. All three fruits lose their delicious sweetness as the ice overwhelms their subtle flavors. Now honeydew is actually an attractive and usually a mellow companion to most fruits. Most of us know that pale green color but there are two other colors Honeydew can wear. There is the orange flesh which I believe would resemble cantaloupe and might be hard to decipher the two. And then there is the Golden Honeydew which is the fruit of the week for my own honey and myself :) We made it into dessert after we had a delicious dinner. My hubby is not a fan of the honeydew melon. So I did warn him before he tried it to see if he was game and agreed.
I cut up the melon and either I hit the perfect ripeness or the golden honeydew is way juicier than its relatives. The seeds scooped out very easily and I poured the pool of juice into the bowl where I was preparing the fruit salad. Very simple prep but delicious results. I added just under half of the melon into the bowl and the other half cubed for snacking as it is sweet and light on its own. For the dessert I added a dozen strawberries quartered and a dozen cherries ( I love summer fruits!!!) halved. I then added a small amount of coconut rum and a sprinkle of sugar to pull out all three fruits' sweetness. I also toasted a 1/4 cup of hazelnuts and then drizzled honey just enough to get the nuts sticky into little mini-clumps with a dash of cayenne for that little kick of heat at the end. And just to boost that toasted nut flavor I added a drips of sesame oil. YUM! I left the nuts to cool on the cupboard and let the fruit soak in the fridge for thirty minutes. Combined and ate. Great summer dessert with lots of flavor and aroma. I thought a dollop of whip cream would be nice but we didn't have any in the house. After tasting the finished product I didn't see the need for the cream at all. My hubby said that the fruit didn't even need the rum. But I actually liked the coconut aroma, I bet coconut milk/juice might add the same appeal.
Not bad. It was a fun little find that screams summer. And melons need very little prep which I love. Also again this might have been the ripeness or the actual fruit but the rind isn't that thick. It was extremely easy to half the melon which on some produce is a nightmare. One simple chop and the knife slid through the fruit. Love that, then easy scoop, quick cut to remove the rind, and cube chop. Maybe a ten minute prep (and I am the slowest in the kitchen) to prepare a yummy snack with tons of servings (roughly ten is what nutritional data suggests).
It was fun to chop, toast, and macerate in the kitchen. I felt very chef-like as I grabbed ingredients through suggestions I found on the web and chose myself. My hubby and I chatted while I "cooked" as the only item truly cooked was toasted hazelnuts and he stayed out of the kitchen which is complete role reversal. But that is why I like this new produce for the week challenge. It is not only allowing me a new taste of the product but encourages me to learn and have more confidence in the kitchen. Fear holds us back a lot. What if I don't like the flavor? What if I mess up the recipe? What if I. . . and the list continues. Fear is usually about the unknown. But the more we equip ourselves with knowledge, experience, and permission to error; we gain back in tenfold.
May your HealthFULL Journey discourage fear and encourage opportunities. We only fail when we don't try. 'Til we meet again. . .
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