Cantaloupe Red Wine Surprise Food

CANTALOUPE CURLS WITH SPICED WINE

Steps:

• Simmer all ingredients except cantaloupes in a 1-quart heavy saucepan until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool in saucepan set in a bowl of ice and cold water. Discard bay leaf.
• Halve each cantaloupe and discard seeds. Scoop out curls from melon halves with an ice cream scoop (not one with a lever), then divide curls among 4 bowls along with any juices. Just before serving, drizzle each serving with about 1 tablespoon cooled spiced wine.

CANTALOUPE JAM WITH VANILLA

Steps:

• Prepare a boiling water bath and 3 half-pint/250 ml jars (see process below). Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
• Combine the cantaloupe pulp, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds in a nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and the packet of liquid pectin. Return to a vigorous boil. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until the bubbles look thick.
• Remove the pot from the heat and ladle the jam into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
• How to Process:
• If you're starting with brand-new jars, remove their lids and rings. If you're using older jars, check the rims to make sure there are no chips or cracks.
• Put the rack into the canning pot and put the jars on top.
• Fill the pot (and jars) with water to cover and bring to a boil. I have found that this is the very easiest way to heat up the jars in preparation for canning because you're going to have to heat up the canning pot anyway. Why not use that energy to heat up the jars as well?
• Put the lids in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring them to the barest simmer on the back of the stove.
• While the canning pot comes to a boil, prepare your product.
• When your recipe is complete, remove the jars from the canning pot (pouring the water back into the pot as you remove the jars) and set them on a clean towel on the counter. There's no need to invert them; the jars will be so hot that any remaining water will rapidly evaporate. Remove the lids with tongs or a magnetic lid wand and lay them out on the clean towel.
• Carefully fill the jars with your product. Depending on the recipe, you'll need to leave between 1/4 and 1/2 inch/6 mm and 12 mm of headspace (that's the room between the surface of the product and the top of the jar). Jams and jellies typically get 1/4 inch/6 mm, while thicker products and pickles get 1/2 inch/12 mm.
• Wipe the rims of the jar with a clean, damp paper towel or the edge of a clean kitchen towel. If the product you're working with is very sticky, you can dip the edge of the cloth in distilled white vinegar for a bit of a cleaning boost.
• Apply the lids and screw the bands on the jars to hold the lids down during processing. Tighten the bands with the tips of your fingers to ensure that they aren't overly tight. This process is known as "fingertip tight."
• Carefully lower the filled jars into the canning pot. You may need to remove some water as you put the jars in the pot. A heat-resistant measuring cup is the best tool for this job, as it won't transfer heat to your hand.
• Once the pot has returned to a rolling boil, start your timer. The length of the processing time will vary from recipe to recipe.
• When your timer goes off, promptly remove the jars from the water bath. Gently place them back on the towel-lined countertop and let them cool.
• The jar lids should begin to ping soon after they've been removed from the pot. The pinging is the sound of the seals forming; the center of the lids will become concave as the vacuum seal takes hold.
• After the jars have cooled for 24 hours, remove the bands and check the seals. You do this by grasping the jar by the edges of the lid and gently lifting it an inch or two off the countertop. The lid should hold fast. Once you've determined that your seals are good, you can store your jars in a cool, dark place (with the rings off, please) for up to a year. Any jars with bad seals can still be used -- just store them in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.

CANTALOUPE CURLS WITH SPICED WINE

Steps:

• To make spiced wine, simmer all ingredients except cantaloupes in a one-quart heavy saucepan until reduced to about 1/4-cup, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool in saucepan set in a bowl of ice and cold water. Discard bay leaf.
• Halve each cantaloupe and discard seeds. Scoop out curls from melon halves with an ice cream scoop (not one with a lever) and divide curls among bowls along with any juices. Just before serving, drizzle each serving with about a tablespoon of cooled spiced wine.

CANTALOUPE RED WINE SURPRISE

Steps:

• Warm wine in a shallow saucepan over low heat; it should be steaming but not simmering. Dissolve sugar in wine; remove from heat. Pour into medium glass bowl and allow to completely cool. Using a melon baller, scoop out balls of cantaloupe and add to the wine mixture. Thinly slice the outer peel from half a lemon into 4 strips; add to bowl. Add chopped basil. Stir gently. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Divide between 4 wine glasses and serve chilled.

CANTALOUPE, RED ONION, & WALNUT SALAD

Steps:

• To make the vinaigrette, combine the orange juice, lemon juice, and raspberry vinegar in a small bowl.
• Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth.
• Season with S&P.
• To make the salad, combine the cantaloupe, red onion, arugula, and 1/2 cup of the walnuts in a large salad bowl.
• Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.
• Garnish with the remaining walnuts.

CANTALOUPE SALAD

Steps:

• Combine dressing ingredients (lemon - vinegar) in bowl. Let stand 30 minutes and then whisk in the olive oil, mint and soy sauce. Season with pepper.
• In a large salad bowl add cantaloupe and veggies, toss.
• Add dressing and toss.

CANTALOUPE GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Purée 1 medium cantaloupe (peeled, seeded, chopped), 1 small cucumber (peeled, chopped), 2 tablespoons chopped red onion, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/3 cup water in a blender until smooth. With motor running, drizzle in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve gazpacho chilled, topped with thinly sliced fresh mint.