Full Cantaloupe Meal
Summer is the best time to enjoy California cantaloupes: They’re at the peak of their freshness, perfectly golden and delicious. They’re versatile, too — in fact, we decided to create a whole meal based on them! Here are recipes to get you inspired, from appetizers to dessert.
Cocktail: Cantaloupe Agua Fresca
This refreshing drink is the perfect way to start your meal. Want to get more adventurous? Add a bit of vodka. Find the recipe here. Here’s a tip: You can scoop out your cantaloupe with a melon baller (remember to wash it first!), then freeze the balls and use them as ice.
Appetizer: Cantaloupe Bruschetta with Crispy Prosciutto and Goat Cheese
This dish is a new take on the Italian pairing of salty prosciutto and sweet cantaloupe. Tangy goat cheese rounds out the flavors.
Serves two as a hearty appetizer or light lunch.
1 small, ripe cantaloupe
2 ounces prosciutto
1/2 baguette, sliced
2 ounces of goat cheese
½ tablespoon cider or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh chives, chopped (for garnish)
Wash and dry the cantaloupe before slicing and seeding it. Cut into ½ inch chunks and place in bowl; toss with olive oil and vinegar.
Crisp the prosciutto in a frying pan; drain and crumble.
Toast the baguette slices.
To assemble, spread the goat cheese on the baguette slices. Top with cantaloupe cubes and prosciutto, then sprinkle on chopped chives and serve.
Salad: Cantaloupe Salad with Arugula, Hazelnuts, and Feta
This perfectly balanced salad has the great crunch of hazelnuts, the saltiness of feta, and the fresh sweetness of cantaloupes. Get the recipe here. And here’s a tip: It’s best to cut a cantaloupe right before you’re ready to use it. And if you want to be very clever, chill your salad bowl in the fridge before adding the fruit.
Main course: Sweet-and-Spicy Grilled Pork Chops and Cantaloupe
The sweet marinade on the pork chops pairs perfectly with the mouth-tingling spice of the cantaloupe.
Serves two.
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 thick-cut pork chops
1 cup washed and diced cantaloupe
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Combine the first five ingredients and pour into a sealable plastic bag. Add pork chops to marinade. Marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
Grill the pork chops over medium heat, turning twice; this should take about 18 minutes. The center of the pork chops should be slightly pink when ready.
While the pork chops are cooking, assemble the cantaloupe: Combine the cantaloupe, jalapeno, red wine vinegar, and cayenne pepper.
To serve, place the pork chops on a platter and surround with the spicy cantaloupe mixture.
Dessert:
Cantaloupe Streusel Cake
Round out your meal with this tender, moist cake. Delicious.
Not in the mood for cake? Try our Fresh Cantaloupe with Vanilla Ice Cream and Almond Praline recipe here.
For the cake:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup or 1 stick butter, melted
¾ cup washed and pureed cantaloupe
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 large egg
For the streusel topping:
¼ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 dash fresh grated nutmeg or 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup California walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan, or use an 8-inch square pan.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, allspice and light brown sugar into a mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix the melted butter, cantaloupe puree, sour cream, vanilla and egg.
Add the dry sifted ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until blended. Pour into prepared pan.
In a food processor, combine all the streusel ingredients and process until walnuts are chopped. Sprinkle streusel on top of cake.
Put the cake in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, then cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
