Melon Bowl Supreme with Honey-Lime Dressing

This is a good dish for summer entertaining –a buffet showstopper, an appetizer, an appetizer at a party, or a fruit dessert for a garden party. Watermelons are best at the height of the summer season. Vine-ripened sweet melons have a glossy thick skin with juicy scarlet or yellow flesh. Honeydew, casaba, Ogden, charentais and cantaloupe are excellent choices. The fruit is served in a melon bowl –a hollowed-out watermelon with a zigzag or ruffed cut edge. A 3-4 pound (1.5-2 kg) round melon will form the basis of a serving bowl; a 10-pound (5 kg) oblong melon can hold up to 20 servings.

 

Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 40 minutes

Chilling time: at least 1 hour

 

Ingredients

• Round watermelon – One 3-4 pound (1.5-2kg) 

• Cantaloupe or Ogden melon – 1 small 

• Honey dew or charentais melon – 1 small 

• Honey – 1/3 cup (80 ml) 

• Limejuice – ¼ cup (60 ml) 

• Orange juice – 2 tablespoons (30 ml) 

• Lemon juice – 2 tablespoons (30 ml) 

• Ground ginger or ½ tablespoon (7 ml) Scraped, finely chopped fresh ginger root. – ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) 

• Cardamom seeds – ½ teaspoon (2 ml) 

• Olive or almond oil – 2 tablespoons (30 ml) 

• Blueberries – 2 cups (480 ml) 

• A few sprigs of mint for garnishing
 

Preparation

1. Using a large sharp knife, cut off the third or the of the water melon. Using a melon baller or a large spoon, scoop balls from the large section of the melon. Remove seeds and refrigerate the balls. Spoon out the remaining melon flesh, leaving a melon shell, with a small sharp knife, cut a saw-toothed or scallop design around the top edge of the melon shell. Cut a thin slice of rind from the base of the shell so it will stand without tipping. Cover without tipping. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until required.

2. Halve the other melons and scoop out the flesh with a melon baller. Combine these balls in a bowl, mix, cover and refrigerate.

Serves
4 to 6
 

By Yamuna Devi Dasi