Enjoy the Fresh, Juicy Goodness of Melons with These Recipes

Ripe cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon are all delicious snacks solo, but they’re also ideal ingredients in a variety of cold dishes. Melons’ high water content also make them perfect to use in drink recipes. Try a few of our suggestions.

TIP: When buying melons, choose ones that feel heavy for their size. When you give it a thump with your fingers, it should have a hollow sound if it’s ready to eat. And finally, take a whiff at the end where the stem was attached. A ripe melon should have a detectable scent.

Melon Mint Smoothie

Try this for a delicious summer breakfast.

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 cups cubed ripe cantaloupe
1/2 cup plain yogurt
10 mint leaves
1/2 to 1 tablespoon honey
Pinch salt
2 ice cubes

Add lime juice, cantaloupe cubes, yogurt, mint, honey, salt, and ice to blender. Blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Garnish with mint and serve immediately.

Watermelon Margaritas

Makes 2

2 cups frozen cubes of watermelon
1 Tbsp agave syrup
2 Tbsp lime juice
3 oz tequila

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Divide between two glasses and enjoy.

Note: To freeze watermelon, cut into cubes. Place in a single layer on a plate lined with wax paper. Once frozen, transfer to an air-tight container until ready to use. If you prefer your margarita over ice, use fresh watermelon instead of frozen.

Melon Salad

For variety, try this sweet and savory combination with black olives, tomatoes, or avocado.

3 different kinds of melon: seedless watermelon, honeydew, orange honeydew, or canteloupe, cut in bite sized cubes
Juice and zest of lime
Feta cheese crumbles
Thinly sliced red onion
Fresh mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Shortly before you want to serve the salad, toss melon cubes in a large bowl, or arrange them on individual plates in a checkerboard fashion. Top them with thin slices of red onion, lime zest, and feta crumbles. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Finish by squeezing lime juice over the top.

Courtesy of and adapted from |http://theviewfromgreatisland.com.

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