Honeydew Lemon Tarragon Cooler Food

PLUM SOUP WITH HONEYDEW TARRAGON ICE

Steps:

• Make honeydew ice:
• Bring water and sugar to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Transfer 1/2 cup hot syrup to a bowl and stir in tarragon, then cool. Chill remaining syrup.
• Pour tarragon syrup through a very fine sieve into a metal bowl, discarding solids. Purée honeydew in a blender and stir into strained tarragon syrup. Freeze in ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.
• Make plum soup:
• Dice enough of plums to measure 1/2 cup and reserve. Coarsely chop remaining plums and purée in 2 batches with 1 cup chilled syrup (total) in a blender. Pour purée through very fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on and discarding solids.
• Stir in diced plums, lime juice, and chilled syrup to taste.
• Serve soup immediately, topped with scoops of honeydew ice.

HONEYDEW-LEMON-TARRAGON COOLER

Steps:

• In a small heatproof bowl, pour 1/2 cup boiling water over sugar and tarragon; stir until sugar has dissolved. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Strain syrup into a blender; discard tarragon.
• Add honeydew, lemon juice, and 1 3/4 cups cold water; blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Serve over ice, garnished with a tarragon sprig, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. If using gin, stir a shot (1-ounce) into each glass before serving.

HONEYDEW LIME COOLER

Steps:

• Put melon cubes in the freezer for about 15 minutes, until firm.
• In a blender, combine melon, sherbet and lime juice and process until smooth.
• Pour into glasses and garnish with strawberries.

LEMON-TARRAGON ROAST CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub chicken inside and out with one garlic half. Place both garlic halves and the tarragon sprigs in cavity. Stir together butter, shallot, chopped tarragon. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Loosen skin of chicken near cavity with hands; spread butter mixture under skin all over flesh.
• Squeeze juice from lemon halves over chicken; place in cavity. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Halve the large onions horizontally at an angle. Arrange in the middle of a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan to form a square. Position halves so that the slanted ends of each pair face each other, inward, and almost touch. Place chicken, breast side up, on onion "rack."
• Quarter the small onions; arrange with carrots, celery, and potatoes around bird. Tuck lemon slices between wings and breast, and legs and breast. Pour wine and stock over vegetables.
• Roast chicken and vegetables, basting 2 or 3 times with pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken thigh registers 165 degrees and juices run clear, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove pan from oven, and let chicken stand 10 minutes. Carve chicken. Arrange chicken and roasted vegetables (including rack onions) on a platter. Spoon pan juices over meat.